initiative

American  

[ih-nish-uh-tiv, ih-nish-ee-uh-] / ɪˈnɪʃ ə tɪv, ɪˈnɪʃ i ə- /

noun

• initiatives
  plural

1. 

   an introductory act or step; leading action.

   to take the initiative in making friends.

2. readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise.

   to lack initiative.

   Synonyms:

   dynamism, forcefulness, leadership

3. one's personal, responsible decision.

   to act on one's own initiative.

4. Government.

   1. a procedure by which a specified number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance, and compel a popular vote on its adoption.

   2. the general right or ability to present a new bill or measure, as in a legislature.

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adjective

1. of or relating to formal admission or acceptance into a club or other group; signifying an initiation.

   The secret society's initiative events are best left undescribed.

2. serving to set in motion or initiate; introductory; beginning.

   Initiative steps were taken to stop manufacture of the drug.

initiative British  

/ ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv, -ˈnɪʃətɪv /

noun

1. the first step or action of a matter; commencing move

   he took the initiative

   a peace initiative

2. the right or power to begin or initiate something

   he has the initiative

3. the ability or attitude required to begin or initiate something

4. government

   1. the right or power to introduce legislation, etc, in a legislative body

   2. the procedure by which citizens originate legislation, as in many American states and Switzerland

5. without being prompted

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adjective

1. of or concerning initiation or serving to initiate; initiatory

initiative Idioms  

1. see on one's own account (initiative); take the initiative.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-initiative
  noun
• superinitiative
  noun
• uninitiative
  adjective
• initiatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• initiatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of initiative

First recorded in 1785–95; initiate + -ive

Explanation

Initiative is all about taking charge. An initiative is the first in a series of actions. Initiative can also mean a personal quality that shows a willingness to get things done and take responsibility. An initiative is the start of something, with the hope that it will continue. Government and business start initiatives all the time. You can also talk about initiative as a personal quality. A person with initiative is motivated to do things. If you take the initiative, you're willing to get things done on your own. Taking initiative can be risky: If you do something on your own initiative, then there's nobody you can blame if it goes wrong.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

initiative initiatives

The snails were discovered during expeditions organized by Taxon Expeditions, an initiative that allows members of the public to take part in genuine scientific fieldwork.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 24, 2026

The initiative was announced the same day that the club reported that overall debt remains more than £1bn.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

"Any initiative that strengthens Ukraine's already highly capable, but heavily burdened, cyber defence efforts is a welcome development and could provide a valuable force multiplier," he said.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Dalporto said the initiative is meant to address a gap in the market—a higher-quality, gig-ready guitar in a midrange price of roughly $500 to $1,000.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

The initiative won majority support in every county in the state.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

These programs have proliferated in the past few years, with tens of millions of dollars spent on initiatives at Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, the University of Michigan, New York University and dozens of smaller schools.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Whereas the plan approved by the council Tuesday grants funding to third parties, the $425-million and $544-million plans are for the city government to spend on affordable housing and homelessness initiatives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026

And while Microsoft has said demand remains ahead of supply, Reback noted that it “has softened its messaging around the need to deploy additional capacity” toward some of its initiatives.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

This would include proposals on the role of the president, as well as "practical ways to strengthen transparency, participation and accountability in major strategic initiatives".

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

PIH works closely with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and through their collaborative initiatives, a new generation of doctors and health specialists have chosen careers centered on infectious diseases.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• action
• drive
• leadership
• push