initiator
Britishnoun
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a person or thing that initiates
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chem a substance that starts a chain reaction
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chem an explosive used in detonators
Other Word Forms
Explanation
The initiator is the one who starts it, whatever it is. The guy who shouts "Let's get this party started!" is the initiator. An initiator is an instigator, the one who begins something. Initiator comes from the Latin initiare, meaning “beginning.” The spark that lights the fuse is the initiator of the bomb’s explosion. John F. Kennedy was the initiator of the US Peace Corps. Hockey players are expert initiators of fights that, if happening on the street, would often result in the arrests of the participants.
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.
The initiator marks the location where the information encoded in a gene begins to be converted, or expressed, into a functional product.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Khe, 71, was identified as the leader and initiator in the case, while Thong, 64, was said to be an accomplice.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
Ms Rowbotham said Carriera "became integral in popularising the use of pastels and as an initiator of the Rococo style and is remembered as one of the most successful female artists of any era".
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2023
Both Tauber and Polinger acknowledge that the new beginning would not be possible without Maggie Mackay, executive director of the Vidiots Foundation since 2016 and main initiator of the reopening plan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
It immortalizes the character of the people amongst whom he dwelt, and he may be considered as the initiator of truth and realism in art, a precursor and inspirer of Velazquez.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 4 "Grasshopper" to "Greek Language" by Various
Definitions 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.
