1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

inaugural 1 of 2

adjective

i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl How to pronounce inaugural (audio)
Definition of inauguralnext
as in first
coming before all others in time or order the inaugural event in the city's week long festival honoring the sailing ships

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

inaugural

2 of 2

noun

as in inauguration
the process or an instance of being formally placed in an office or organization attended the inaugurals of the city's last three mayors

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inaugural
Adjective
Sabrina Habib, an associate professor of visual communications at the University of South Carolina, dealt with this question as the inaugural AI coordinator for the College of Information and Communications. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026 The chart-topper arrives shortly after a busy summer for Kasabian, who headlined Leeds Festival’s inaugural Thursday night slot in August. — Sophie Williams, Billboard, 11 Sep. 2026
Noun
In Andrew Jackson's first inaugural, Andrew Jackson calls himself an instrument of the federal Constitution. — NBC news, 11 Jan. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for inaugural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inaugural
  1. first
  2. inauguration
  3. initial
  4. original
  5. maiden
  6. foremost
Adjective
  • Atkinson won the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year prize with her first novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The first operation, in June, led authorities to a box truck carrying some 2,000 animals, a mix of reptiles, fish and invertebrates that were being smuggled for sale on the black market.
    — John Donegan LONG BEACH POST, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of first
Noun
  • In his inauguration speech, Min Aung Hlaing pledged to restore normal engagement with ASEAN and to work to strengthen international relations.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Sep. 2026
  • McKee will remain in office until the next governor's inauguration in January 2027.
    — Katherine Gregg, The Providence Journal, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of inauguration
Adjective
  • Doue’s initial double movement and left-footed dink into space are not easily replicated.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The strategy gives Covenant several paths to scale Anthem beyond its initial US production base.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Bier’s addition to the franchise is as bizarrely paced as the original and significantly less charming.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Feedback doesn’t have to flatten what makes the idea original.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • One day before the anniversary of his first (and, so far, only) F1 victory, Gasly secured a stunning maiden pole position at Monza.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Try maiden grass for something tall and upright that can also serve well as a privacy barrier.
    — Ashley Chalmers, The Spruce, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of maiden
Adjective
  • Making the roster more functional will be the foremost objective for whomever Crane chooses to replace Brown.
    — Chandler Rome, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • One of the two candidates for president, one of the country’s foremost politicians, was expressly lumping together a sizable American ethnic minority with external enemies.
    — Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of foremost

Browse Nearby Words

inaudibly
inaugural
inaugurals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaugural. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All