inaugural

1 of 2

adjective

in·​au·​gu·​ral i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl 

-g(ə-)rəl

1

: of or relating to an inauguration

an inaugural ball

2

: marking a beginning : first in a projected series

an aircraft's inaugural flight

inaugural

2 of 2

noun

1

: an inaugural address

2

: inauguration

Synonyms of inaugural

Adjective

• first
• initial
• original
• maiden
• foremost

Noun

• inauguration

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

Claudia Schiffer fronted the inaugural Chloé à la Plage campaign last year. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 May 2026

Inspired by a conversation Halsted, Berg, and Moret had at their favorite LA bar (Boardner’s after the TCM Classic Film Fest, obviously), the inaugural Programmers’ Jam was possibly the largest gathering of repertory film programmers — period. —Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 May 2026

Noun

Van Dijk and her fellow travelers even brought their own swag to give out and said inaugurals feel like a bonding experience for everyone on the flight. —Zach Wichter, USA Today, 10 May 2026

Ike gave his farewell address three days before John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural. —David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing inaugural

• pre-inaugural

Rhymes for inaugural

• doggerel

Kids Definition

inaugural

1 of 2 adjective

in·​au·​gu·​ral in-ˈȯ-gyə-rəl 

-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

: inauguration