inaugural

1 of 2

adjective

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

inaugural

2 of 2

noun

1

: an inaugural address

2

: inauguration

Synonyms

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

Gen Z has seen the steepest decline in credit scores of any age group this year as student loans repayments, a tough job market, high inflation and fewer opportunities to build credit early hurt young borrowers, according to the inaugural FICO Score Credit Insights Report. —Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025

The inaugural Adriatic Film & TV Awards (AFA Awards) have been handed out to honor the region’s best achievements in film and television, with Croatian Oscar contender Fiume o morte! —Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025

Noun

From Clinton’s tenure as first lady of the state of Arkansas through her White House years, Kamran periodically dressed her for key events, including for Bill Clinton’s second gubernatorial inaugural. —Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 25 July 2025

If fundraising is Global’s plan with its pair of inaugurals, leaving its A380 parked at JFK for four days between flights is an odd choice. —Edward Russell, CNN Money, 9 May 2025

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