initiate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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
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
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Achievement First 5th Grade IA 1 Words
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The Hate U Give
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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:
A quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present for the commission to engage in rulemaking, issue final decisions in adjudications, initiate enforcement actions, and otherwise conduct business.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
Overall, the results suggest creatine could strengthen the immune system's anti-cancer defenses at multiple stages, beginning with the cells that detect cancer and initiate the body's response.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Troy Jensen was among the bulls to initiate coverage on Quantinuum at Overweight.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
After all, money is psychological, and the author felt vulnerable with sudden changes she didn’t initiate or want.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
Security Council intervened in South African affairs, blaming the government for the shootings and urging it to initiate measures to bring about racial equality.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
GS also initiates coverage of Samvardhana Motherson International and Bharat Forge with neutral ratings and target prices of 148.00 rupees and 2,120.00 rupees, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Macquarie initiates coverage of the stock with an outperform rating and a target price of 3.33 Singapore dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
DBS initiates stock coverage with a buy rating and a target price of 8.70 baht.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
It initiates with a share-price target of A$17.00.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Three Dauntless-born initiates stand among the other worn and dirty animals.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
"A full investigation has been initiated and until such time as the formal processes are complete no further comment will be made."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
A report also said mediator Pakistan was looking at resuming US-Iran peace talks, following a push initiated by China.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Google's process for a website owner to block a link, external is straightforward, but must be initiated by a website owner.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
It’s initiated a traceback investigation, a process where officials trace food that ill people report eating all the way back to the farm or production facility.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
In the driveway there are hugs and kisses good-bye, initiated by Maxine, his parents reciprocating clumsily.
From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri
“CENTCOM forces have disabled seven non-compliant vessels, redirected 134 ships that complied, and allowed 42 vessels supporting humanitarian aid to pass since initiating the blockade on April 13,” U.S.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Meta joins many other California tech firms initiating major downsizing efforts in 2026 as more companies shift to AI.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026
Navarro’s role in initiating the deal was not publicly disclosed.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
Many expressed gratitude for Amin Abdullah, the centre's security guard who has been hailed as a hero for confronting the gunmen and initiating lockdown protocols believed to have prevented a greater loss of life.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
After a time in solitary, I relished the company even of the insects in my cell, and found myself on the verge of initiating conversations with a cockroach.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
