in·au·gu·ral
i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl 
-g(ə-)rəl
1
: of or relating to an inauguration
2
: marking a beginning : first in a projected series
1
: an inaugural address
2
Synonyms
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
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Months of research and experimentation led Baker and Rose to the moment on a December day later that year of their inaugural launch.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
In a legitimately shocking turn of events, Gerry Turner, the inaugural Golden Bachelor, and his wife, Theresa Nist, are divorcing just three months after getting married on national television.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 12 Apr. 2024
Chadwick would become the first woman in decades to race in Formula One, which saw its inaugural season in 1950.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
It’s been nearly 25 years since the inaugural Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival happened in October 1999.
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Following their inaugural jazz festival last year, Sutton told The Sacramento Bee their second annual Elk Grove jazz festival will be later in the year on Sept. 28, the last Saturday of the month.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Situated in the first car of the ride vehicle for the inaugural ride, which was being filmed, Fabio was seated with a group of women who were all dressed as Greek goddesses.
—Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
On Thursday, April 18, the inaugural flydubai flight is scheduled to fly from Dubai’s DXB airport to deliver passengers to the brand new Red Sea International Airport, RSI, in Saudi Arabia according to a press release issued by Red Sea Global.
—Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
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
Adjective
But eventually, SpaceX got its Crew Dragon to the launchpad, and its inaugural crewed mission in 2020 returned astronaut launches to US soil for the first time in a decade.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Months of research and experimentation led Baker and Rose to the moment on a December day later that year of their inaugural launch.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 13 Apr. 2024
In a legitimately shocking turn of events, Gerry Turner, the inaugural Golden Bachelor, and his wife, Theresa Nist, are divorcing just three months after getting married on national television.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 12 Apr. 2024
Chadwick would become the first woman in decades to race in Formula One, which saw its inaugural season in 1950.
—Doc Louallen, ABC News, 12 Apr. 2024
It’s been nearly 25 years since the inaugural Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival happened in October 1999.
—Vanessa Franko, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Following their inaugural jazz festival last year, Sutton told The Sacramento Bee their second annual Elk Grove jazz festival will be later in the year on Sept. 28, the last Saturday of the month.
—Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024
Situated in the first car of the ride vehicle for the inaugural ride, which was being filmed, Fabio was seated with a group of women who were all dressed as Greek goddesses.
—Jason Sheeler, Peoplemag, 31 Mar. 2024
On Thursday, April 18, the inaugural flydubai flight is scheduled to fly from Dubai’s DXB airport to deliver passengers to the brand new Red Sea International Airport, RSI, in Saudi Arabia according to a press release issued by Red Sea Global.
—Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 30 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.
Dictionary Entries Near inaugural
Cite this Entry
“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inaugural. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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 noun1
: an inaugural address
2
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