initiate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
initiates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
initiated,
past participle, past
-
initiating
present participle
-
to begin, set going, or originate.
to initiate major social reforms.
- Synonyms:
- open, inaugurate, introduce, commence
- Antonyms:
- conclude
-
to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.
- Synonyms:
- train, indoctrinate, instruct, teach
-
to admit or accept with formal rites into an organization or group, secret knowledge, adult society, etc.
-
Government. to propose (a measure) by initiative procedure.
to initiate a constitutional amendment.
adjective
-
admitted into an organization or group, secret knowledge, etc.
-
introduced to the knowledge of a subject.
-
initiated; begun.
the recently initiate measures.
noun
-
initiates
plural
verb
-
to begin or originate
-
to accept (new members) into an organization such as a club, through often secret ceremonies
-
to teach fundamentals to
she initiated him into the ballet
adjective
noun
-
a person who has been initiated, esp recently
-
a beginner; novice
Synonym Usage
See begin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
initiatornoun
-
noninitiatenoun
-
preinitiatenoun
-
preinitiateverb (used with object)
-
reinitiateverb (used with object)
-
uninitiateadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
initiatesimple
-
initiatessimple
-
have initiatedperfect
-
has initiatedperfect
-
am initiatingprogressive
-
are initiatingprogressive
-
is initiatingprogressive
-
have been initiatingperfect progressive
-
has been initiatingperfect progressive
Past
-
initiatedsimple
-
had initiatedperfect
-
was initiatingprogressive
-
were initiatingprogressive
-
had been initiatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of initiate
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin initiātus, past participle of initiāre “to ritually initiate, admit,” equivalent to initi(um) “beginning” + -ātus past participle suffix; see initial, -ate 1
Explanation
If you want to end the feud between your siblings, you might need to initiate peace talks — and come up with a fair way to decide who gets the top bunk. As a verb, initiate means to start. As a noun, initiate refers to someone who has been inducted into a group. Initiate is tricky because you pronounce the last bit one way as a verb (i-ni-she-ate) and another when it's a noun (i-ni-she-at). If you're an initiate, you've been introduced to a field of study, an activity, a club, etc. As a verb, to initiate is to begin, pioneer, or broach a topic. You might say, "Let's initiate the swearing-in ceremony so our new initiates can join the Rule-Breakers' Club and still get home without missing their curfews."
Vocabulary lists containing initiate
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Achievement First 5th Grade IA 1 Words
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Hate U Give
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It is coming into serious conflict with the peace efforts of the United States and American negotiators, who are making vigorous efforts to initiate the peace process," he added.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
When exercise stimulates PLIN1, it changes and releases ABHD5, which helps initiate fat breakdown.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
It was told it had said no final decision had been made on whether to initiate criminal proceedings against any individuals or organisations.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
Hengrui has already received approval in China to initiate phase 1 clinical trials of the treatment for weight management and type 2 diabetes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
I'm about to stop Layla from embarrassing herself further when Marisol interrupts her first, ready to initiate one of her business transactions.
From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi
TD Cowen initiates coverage on IQM’s U.S.-listed shares with a Buy rating, citing the quantum developer’s early market lead.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
BofA Securities initiates coverage on IonQ at Buy, saying the company’s recent acquisitions are shaping it into a diversified play on quantum technology.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
StoneX initiates coverage of Viking with a buy rating and a $99 price target.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
Deutsche Bank initiates the Swiss orthopedics company’s stock at hold, with a target of 121 francs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Soft, soothing, low—I wonder, then, if that is something they teach their initiates here.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
He and Oppenheim said it was Holmes who initiated conversations with independent entertainment company A24 about documenting her daily life.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The project was initiated by former Jackson School of Geosciences graduate student Andrew Parisi, who graduated in 2018 and has since passed away.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 4, 2026
On the morning in question, a dawn immigration raid initiated by the U.K.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
It initiated the Jobsworth award for over-zealous bureaucrats and council officials, and Heap of the Week, in which failing domestic appliances would be destroyed on screen in a variety of ingenious ways.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
In the driveway there are hugs and kisses good-bye, initiated by Maxine, his parents reciprocating clumsily.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
The judge ordered the companies to "refrain from initiating, pursuing, carrying out or having carried out any material actions" that would involve drilling, installing infrastructure or extracting hydrocarbons, according to a ruling seen by AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
Amazon Pharmacy manages the entire process, including verifying eligibility, handling prior authorizations, and initiating enrollment, once a clinician submits an electronic GLP-1 prescription, the company said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Rather than initiating violence, they say they are the victims and that Pakistan's security forces have been firing on them.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Software providers are dedicating more resources to this puzzle, and some are initiating new roles to meet the task at hand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
“In principle,” he said, “I am not against negotiations. But I would have wished that the government initiated talks with us rather than us initiating talks with them.”
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
