initiate

verb ini·ti·ate \ i-ˈni-shē-ˌāt \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: initiate in a Sentence

Definition of initiate

initiated; initiating

transitive verb

1 : to cause or facilitate the beginning of : set going

initiate a program of reform

enzymes that initiate fermentation

2 : to induct into membership by or as if by special rites

3 : to instruct in the rudiments or principles of something : introduce

—

initiator

play \i-ˈni-shē-ˌā-tər\ noun

See initiate defined for English-language learners

See initiate defined for kids

Examples of initiate in a Sentence

Doctors have initiated a series of tests to determine the cause of the problem.
The company initiated judicial proceedings against them.
The new recruits will be initiated tomorrow night.
He was initiated into a secret society.

Recent Examples of initiate from the Web

Several weeks ago, Georgia Rush initiated a change in the professional leadership of the club and is currently searching for our next president.

— zachary hansen, ajc, "Police: Roswell man stole $30,000 from youth soccer nonprofit in Milton," 30 June 2018
Former San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee initiated the city’s move toward higher minimum wages in December 2013.

— justin phillips, SFChronicle.com, "SF restaurants struggle for balance in prices, service as wage hike arrives," 29 June 2018
Major players in the industry are initiating change in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

— piet levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Women are vastly underrepresented in festival lineups. What's being done to close the gap," 28 June 2018
The officer soon initiated a traffic stop, according to an arrest report from the St Lucie County Sheriff's Office.

— madeleine marr, miamiherald, "He was pulled over for missing tail lights. Then a deputy looked under the seat.," 27 June 2018
Emergency personnel initiated life-saving measures and transported the boy to Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in Nampa.

— katy moeller, idahostatesman, "Canyon County toddler dies after apparently falling into canal near home," 25 June 2018
But without enough placed currently to store water, the Army Corps initiated the discharges to the coast June 1, hoping to lower the lake level as hurricane season began.

— david fleshler, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee to be reduced," 21 June 2018
This Administration will initiate proceedings to enforce this and other criminal provisions of the INA until and unless Congress directs otherwise.

— li zhou, Vox, "Read: President Trump’s executive order on family separation," 20 June 2018
This Administration will initiate proceedings to enforce this and other criminal provisions of the INA until and unless Congress directs otherwise.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Ends Family Separations By Ordering Family Detentions," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'initiate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of initiate

Late Latin initiatus, past participle of initiare, from Latin, to induct, from initium

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1533

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

initiate Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of initiate

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation. begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable. begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

- begin a trip
- began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

- the work started slowly

commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

- commence firing
- commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

- initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

- the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

- ushered in a period of economic decline

initiate

adjective ini·tiate \ i-ˈni-sh(ē-)ət \

Definition of initiate

1 a : initiated or properly admitted (as to membership or an office)

b : instructed in some secret knowledge

2 obsolete : relating to an initiate

First Known Use of initiate

1537

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

initiate

noun ini·tiate \ i-ˈni-sh(ē-)ət \

Definition of initiate

1 : a person who is undergoing or has undergone an initiation

2 : a person who is instructed or adept in some special field

See initiate defined for English-language learners

Examples of initiate in a Sentence

These secrets are known only to a small group of initiates.

Recent Examples of initiate from the Web

Like many initiates, Drotar, a landscaper and father of two who drives a pickup truck, spends a lot of time explaining the organization’s strange name.

— jonathan m. pitts, baltimoresun.com, "A rural Maryland chapter of the Odd Fellows society fights to save its 1850s building — and memories within," 25 Apr. 2018
Democrats say 3,200 incoming freshmen will be eligible for the initiate in the next fiscal year.

— sandra gomez-aceves, courant.com, "5 Areas Of Common Ground In Democratic, Republican Budget Proposals," 21 Apr. 2018
Journalist Frank Parlato, who first broke the story about the cult, told the New York Post that Mack came up with the idea of branding initiates' skin, near their groin area.

— Fox News, "'Smallville' actress Allison Mack arrested for alleged sex cult involvement, reports say," 20 Apr. 2018
Today, Kappa Alpha Theta has more than 145 chapters in the US and Canada, with nearly 220,000 initiates—including famous sisters such as Tory Burch, Sheryl Crow, Laura Bush, Melinda Gates, Dylan Lauren, and Cindy McCain.

— nadine jolie courtney, Town & Country, "Which Sorority Was Actually the First?," 18 May 2017
Bayou Greenway day changes location each year in an effort to involve all of the communities, and to promote the fact that once the initiate is completed, many different parts of the city will be connected.

— rebecca hazen, Houston Chronicle, "Bayou Greenway Day to highlight Houston Parks Board project," 13 Mar. 2018
And there are questions about the effectiveness of such programs, and in some instances, concern that some initiates — and penalties — have gone too far.

— laura petrecca, USA TODAY, "Google manifesto spotlights enduring sexism issues," 10 Aug. 2017
Payne in the hills of northeast Alabama, waiting for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take him into custody and likely initiate deportation proceedings.

— connor sheets, AL.com, "Alabama Dreamer faces deportation after failing to signal, driving with empty beer bottles," 9 July 2017
In one of Divergent's pivotal moments, Tris, trying to prove herself as a Dauntless initiate, jumps off a building to show her fearlessness — a task Shailene Woodley's stunt double, Alicia Vela-Bailey, handled for the film.

— alyssa bailey, Cosmopolitan, "Watch Shailene Woodley's Stunt Double Jump 66 Feet for "Divergent"," 21 July 2014

First Known Use of initiate

1811

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

INITIATE Defined for English Language Learners

initiate

verb

Definition of initiate for English Language Learners

: to cause the beginning of (something) : to start or begin (something)
: to formally accept (someone) as a member of a group or organization usually in a special ceremony
: to teach (someone) the basic facts or ideas about something