initiatory

American  

[ih-nish-ee-uh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ɪˈnɪʃ i əˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

adjective

1. introductory; initial.

   an initiatory step toward a treaty.

2. serving to initiate or admit into a society, club, etc.

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initiatory British  

/ ɪˈnɪʃɪˌətərɪ /

adjective

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

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Other Word Forms

• initiatorily adverb

Etymology

Origin of initiatory

First recorded in 1605–15; initiate + -ory ¹

Example Sentences

That initiatory dinner consisted of mashed potatoes and jellied cranberry sauce from the can, a dish he loved because its sweet-and-sour flavor tasted faintly of home.

From New York Times • Nov. 15, 2016

The alteration of this initiatory principle produces corresponding modifications, and even total changes, in the character of the civilization.

From The Moral and Intellectual Diversity of Races With Particular Reference to Their Respective Influence in the Civil and Political History of Mankind by Arthur, T. S. (Timothy Shay)

There are no special initiatory rites for the youthful Fanti, only a short seclusion for girls when they reach the marriageable age.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

Perceiving that a young squire is receiving an initiatory lesson into the art of driving; or that a jibbing horse, or a race with an opposition coach, is endangering your existence.

From The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries To-Day and in Days of Old by Harper, Charles G. (Charles George)

As I looked over the book I discovered that with the exception of a few initiatory chapters, it was simply a copy of Mrs. Wister's work.

From Recollections of a Varied Life by Eggleston, George Cary