inauguration

noun

in·​au·​gu·​ra·​tion i-ˌnȯ-gyə-ˈrā-shən 

-gə-

: an act of inaugurating

especially : a ceremonial induction into office

Synonyms of inauguration

• inaugural

Examples of inauguration in a Sentence

the pomp and circumstance of a presidential inauguration

Recent Examples on the Web

He was joined at the inauguration by several conservative presidents from across the region, including Argentina's Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa and Chile’s José Antonio Kast. — Armando Regil Velasco, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Some 11,000 troops have been deployed to the city to ensure the safety of the new president and the roughly dozen heads of state attending the inauguration. — Manuel Rueda, NPR, 7 Aug. 2026

His inauguration, held at a university auditorium before Congress, marks a further shift to the right in the region. — Astrid Suárez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026

Fireworks herald the World Cup, the Olympics, inaugurations, weddings, railroad openings, royal matrimony, saints, the Saints, the spring equinox, eclipses, the New Year, the Day of the Dead, the beginning of summer, the end of it. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inauguration

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

inauguration

noun

in·​au·​gu·​ra·​tion in-ˌȯ-g(y)ə-ˈrā-shən 

: an act or ceremony of inaugurating