initiation

American  

[ih-nish-ee-ey-shuhn] / ɪˌnɪʃ iˈeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. formal admission or acceptance into an organization or club, adult status in one's community or society, etc.

2. the ceremonies or rites of admission.

3. the act of initiating.

4. the fact of being initiated.

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initiation British  

/ ɪˌnɪʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of initiating or the condition of being initiated

2. the often secret ceremony initiating new members into an organization

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Other Word Forms

• preinitiation noun

Etymology

Origin of initiation

First recorded in 1575–85, initiation is from the Latin word initiātiōn- (stem of initiātiō ). See initiate, -ion

Explanation

The initiation of something is the beginning. It's what sets events in motion, gets the party underway, or kicks off a new program. An initiation can also be an introduction into something, formally or informally. You might undergo an initiation ceremony when you join the Girl Scouts for the first time, or have a rude initiation into the world of traffic law when you get your first speeding ticket. But beware of the initiation rituals for college frats — you could find yourself swallowing a live goldfish or streaking across campus in your tighty-whiteys.

Example Sentences

Membership costs $5,000 a year plus a $7,500 initiation fee, not including the price of food and drink.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

What’s the immediate upshot of the initiation of hostilities in Iran over this past weekend for risk assets?

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

“As such deserts have expanded, patients in the first trimester have had to drive further, and thus it is unsurprising that early initiation is decreasing.”

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

The agency “did not raise any objections ... at any time before the initiation of the study in September 2024,” Moderna said in a news release after the rejection.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026

“Therefore each stage of initiation is intended to prepare you in a different way. The first stage is primarily physical; the second, primarily emotional; the third, primarily mental.”

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• baptism
• commencement
• inauguration
• inception
• induction