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

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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
The same can be said of Moroccan club ASFAR, which is represented not only by 10 WAFCON players but also featured at the inaugural FIFA Women’s Champions Cup in February. — Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Actor Michael Douglas made a rare appearance with his 23-year-old daughter Carys Douglas at the inaugural Mallorca, Land of Honour awards on August 3. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 4 Aug. 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
  • The Astros took over the division lead for the first time since April after a three-game sweep of the Rangers over the weekend.
    — David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Amazon shares gained 4% and hit a new all-time high on Monday, putting its market cap over the $3 trillion threshold for the first time following a better-than-expected earnings report last week.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of first
Noun
  • 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
  • Earlier this year, Smith performed during the inauguration of the Holy See’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of inauguration
Adjective
  • Home-share staff members typically interview the individual parties, run background checks, verify incomes, coordinate initial phone calls and meetings, and mediate if problems later arise.
    — Paula Span, Miami Herald, 29 July 2026
  • The initial construction of the mask’s mouth is impressive, with long studs and angled pieces to cleverly but accurately recreate the classic triangle.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • The sole violation against the original pair was for not reporting the relationship.
    — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • At the original location, an older Mexican woman stopped to read the family's story on the wall and began to cry.
    — Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • According to Air Force officials, the program remains on schedule, with the aircraft’s maiden flight expected in 2028.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
  • Bournemouth are well stocked higher up the pitch for their maiden campaign in Europe.
    — Luke Bosher, New York Times, 31 July 2026
Definition of maiden
Adjective
  • Today, perhaps the foremost image of a moderate is that of a centrist on a left-right spectrum.
    — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Briggs, the architect, built a reputation for bespoke luxury homes along the Orange County coast and was named among Architectural Digest’s 100 foremost architects in 1991, according to background materials from the listing team.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of foremost

Browse Nearby Words

inaudibly
inaugural
inaugurals
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Cite this Entry

“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaugural. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of inaugural for Spanish Speakers

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