inaugural

1 of 2

adjective

in·​au·​gu·​ral i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl How to pronounce inaugural (audio)
-g(ə-)rəl
1
: of or relating to an inauguration
2
: marking a beginning : first in a projected series

inaugural

2 of 2

noun

1
: an inaugural address
2

Examples of inaugural in a Sentence

Adjective They attended the inaugural ball. the inaugural event in the city's week long festival honoring the sailing ships Noun attended the inaugurals of the city's last three mayors
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Tyler Childers notched a headlining slot, alongside Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Eric Church, for the inaugural Country Calling Festival, taking place Oct. 4 and 5 in Ocean City, Maryland. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024 Sotheby’s is no stranger to making history; and now, for the first time ever, the famed auction house will be holding its inaugural Sports Week event featuring collectibles from the world’s greatest athletes. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024 The multiple Grammy Award winner has rebounded since the health crisis, performing with fellow hip-hop legends just over a year later during his hometown Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show and receiving the inaugural Dr. Dre Global Impact Award at the 2023 Grammy Awards. Nardine Saad, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Commentator Van Jones and chef José Andrés were the recipients of the inaugural award in 2021, and each received $100 million. Glamour, 15 Mar. 2024 Chef and humanitarian José Andrés and CNN commentator and activist Van Jones received the inaugural awards. Kendra Nichols, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 But there is still a long way to go The November test flight marked a big improvement compared with Starship’s inaugural liftoff in April 2023, when some of the rocket’s 33 main engines flamed out and the vehicle began tumbling over the Gulf of Mexico. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 The short films from last year’s inaugural cohort – which included the writing discipline instead of composing – will be screened this spring. Rebecca Sun, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 This inaugural list will be the first of many, highlighting the greatest female business leaders in continental Europe and, arguably, the world. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
In the coming campaign, prominent Democrats will inevitably tout the strength of Biden’s first-term White House as a selling point to voters who are dubious of reelecting a president who will be 82 at his second inaugural. Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 19 Sep. 2023 His first inaugural is always a favorite. Osita Nwanevu, The New Republic, 19 Nov. 2020 On Friday, January 6, under a sky swept blue by days of wind and rain, California governor Gavin Newsom marched with family and supporters to his second inaugural. Will Swaim, National Review, 15 Jan. 2023 Some of the million-dollar donors to the Biden inaugural also gave to Lamont, albeit on a much smaller scale: Bank of America, $5,000; AT&T, $10,000; Comcast, $15,000; and Lockheed Martin, $25,000. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 20 Jan. 2023 Contributions to an inaugural are deemed a gift to the state, not an individual. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 20 Dec. 2022 Yet a gallon of gas still averages $3.85, up from a year ago when Biden called $3.35 a gallon a strain on families and from roughly $2.40 a gallon during his 2021 inaugural. Josh Boak and Zeke Miller, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Oct. 2022 For his 2009 inaugural, President Barack Obama hosted a concert on the steps of the memorial and was photographed in the chamber. Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 13 Aug. 2022 Sonny Lindner won the inaugural with a nine-dog team. John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, 21 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inaugural.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inaugural was in 1689

Dictionary Entries Near inaugural

Cite this Entry

“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inaugural. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inaugural

1 of 2 adjective
in·​au·​gu·​ral in-ˈȯ-gyə-rəl How to pronounce inaugural (audio)
-g(ə-)rəl
1
: of or relating to an inauguration
the inaugural address
an inaugural ball
2
: marking a beginning
the inaugural run of a new high-speed train

inaugural

2 of 2 noun
1
: an inaugural address
2

More from Merriam-Webster on inaugural

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