inaugurate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make a formal beginning of; initiate; commence; begin.
The end of World War II inaugurated the era of nuclear power.
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to induct into office with formal ceremonies; install.
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to introduce into public use by some formal ceremony.
Airmail service between Washington, D.C., and New York City was inaugurated in 1918.
verb
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to commence officially or formally; initiate
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to place in office formally and ceremonially; induct
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to open ceremonially; dedicate formally
to inaugurate a factory
Usage
What does inaugurate mean? Inaugurate most generally means to formally or officially take action to begin something. Close synonyms are the verbs initiate and commence. More specifically, inaugurate means to officially induct someone into a position with a formal ceremony. A close synonym of this sense of the word is install. The noun inauguration refers to the process of inaugurating or a ceremony in which a person or thing is inaugurated. Things involving or related to inauguration can be described with the adjective inaugural. U. S. presidents are inaugurated—officially inducted into office and sworn in—on Inauguration Day, on which they usually give their inaugural address (speech). Inaugurate can also mean to introduce something into use with a formal ceremony. A new factory or public building might be inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony or a dedication ceremony, for example. In every sense of the word, inaugurate implies at least some formality. Its general sense—meaning to initiate or commence—is typically used in the context of events considered important, such as historical eras, as in The rise of the empire inaugurated a period of renewed warfare. Example: In the U. S., presidents are elected in November, but their terms don’t officially begin until they are inaugurated in January.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inaugurationnoun
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inauguratornoun
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preinaugurateverb (used with object)
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reinaugurateverb (used with object)
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inauguratoryadjective
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uninauguratedadjective
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well-inauguratedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inauguratesimple
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inauguratessimple
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have inauguratedperfect
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has inauguratedperfect
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am inauguratingprogressive
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are inauguratingprogressive
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is inauguratingprogressive
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have been inauguratingperfect progressive
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has been inauguratingperfect progressive
Past
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inauguratedsimple
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had inauguratedperfect
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was inauguratingprogressive
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were inauguratingprogressive
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had been inauguratingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of inaugurate
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin inaugurātus, past participle of inaugurāre “to consecrate by augury (a person chosen for priesthood or other office),” literally, “to take auguries”); see in- 2, augur 1, -ate 1
Explanation
To inaugurate means to start something, to give it a kick off. The opening day pep rally inaugurates the high school football season. Inaugurate comes from the Latin word augur, which means taking signs from birds, or telling the future. The Romans would always look for good omens to mark the beginning of something — a war, or a new emperor’s reign — so inaugurate became linked to new beginnings. While inaugurate has long been used in formal contexts, such as the swearing-in ceremony that inaugurates a President's term in office, the word is now also used casually. You might inaugurate your marathon training with a long run.
Vocabulary lists containing inaugurate
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The Namesake
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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:
Finally, from 5,000 years ago, the Corded Ware people expanded out of the Russian steppe to inaugurate the European bronze age.
From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026
US President Donald Trump on Thursday gathers allies to inaugurate the "Board of Peace," his new institution focused on progress on Gaza but whose ambitions reach much further.
From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026
The truth is that the stock-market crash did not inaugurate the Great Depression, nor did people at the time believe that it did.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
Interestingly, she isn't the first Muslim person to be invited to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festival.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2025
The nation’s capital city was getting ready to inaugurate a new president the following month.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
With “Costume Art,” the exhibition that inaugurates a sweeping first-floor two-gallery space created for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the museum has made a milestone statement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026
Last week, Francis coughed repeatedly during Ash Wednesday services that he presided over at a Roman church, and opted not to participate in the traditional procession that inaugurates the church’s Lenten season.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2024
He won’t be back until October, when he inaugurates the orchestra’s fall season with a celebration of Frank Gehry and the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2023
The visit "inaugurates a path for restoring normal relationships between the two countries," Egypt's foreign ministry said in a simultaneous statement.
From Reuters ● Mar. 17, 2023
Indeed, let it be this generation that inaugurates this glorious stage in the evolution of social life on the planet.
From The Promise of World Peace by Universal House of Justice
British architect Edwin Lutyens was credited with blending European styles and Indian architectural motifs in the new imperial capital, which was inaugurated in 1931.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
In January, Mamdani was inaugurated as one of New York City’s youngest-ever mayors and its first Muslim to hold the office.
From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026
But creating a new award altogether is more of a rarity — the last time the academy did it was 2007, when it inaugurated the Honors Award to recognize programming that drives positive social change.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Trump also holds the record for the third oldest president to be inaugurated, from when he began his first term at the age of 70.
From Barron's ● May 26, 2026
Freshly inaugurated to an office he never ran for—well, what would you be thinking?
From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini is inaugurating infrastructure every week.
From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026
“Trump and Xi are inaugurating a new era in which technological prowess is at the core of the competition.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2025
During his visit, Widodo is inaugurating several construction projects in Nusantara, including a water reservoir.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
The men had been returning from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan after inaugurating a joint dam project.
From New York Times ● May 20, 2024
This time I’m inaugurating my patent leather shoes and a baby blue poplin dress with a little jacket to match.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
