inchoative

adjective

Definition of inchoativenext
as in initial

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inchoative
  1. initial
  2. first
  3. formative
  4. inceptive
  5. inchoate
  6. original
  7. incipient
  8. nascent
Adjective
  • Amid its six-shot flurry in the initial 10 minutes, Belgium created one golden chance that was a near miss.
    — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026
  • The initial impulse is likely valid, but make sure your emotions are also in check.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • The West Nile virus has been detected in Yuba County for the first time this year, according to a Monday news release from the Sutter-Yuba Mosquito and Vector Control District.
    — Alula Alderson, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Some of the first reports indicated that Adebayo threw a punch at Herro’s head before the two were separated, but some league sources have indicated that initial portrayals of the fight were overblown.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of first
Adjective
  • Complex, intricate, and at all times realistic and humane, Famous Men is the pinnacle of the attempt to capture this specific and yet, all too universal, formative experience of enmeshment, devotion, and ego-death.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • Gauff was in her formative years when Rafael Nadal, Świątek’s idol, was taking over men’s tennis with his remarkable forehand.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 29 June 2026
Definition of formative
Adjective
  • Vaccinating our faculty and staff is our first step toward keeping our schools open and safe and will be inceptive to reopening our economy.
    — Margaret W. Long, chicagotribune.com, 19 Nov. 2020
Definition of inceptive
Adjective
  • Yet, even these inchoate moments deepen the music’s sense of honest confusion.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 8 June 2026
  • These are the inchoate and unarticulated aspects of the relationship an author offers to us through a book, the parts of the reading experience that provide a kind of psychological mooring for a reader.
    — Walt Hunter, The Atlantic, 4 June 2026
Definition of inchoate
Adjective
  • The foursome began a two-year, multi-million-dollar journey that preserved the building’s original craftsmanship while modernizing the design, plumbing, and electrical.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Watching repeat episodes of the original TV series from the ’70s and reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books for school, Travers developed a deep appreciation for the expansive representation of pioneer life that Wilder created on the page.
    — Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 10 July 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • Turbulent relations While the incipient reforms in Cuba advanced, Havana and Washington began diplomatic relations after half a century of confrontation.
    — Rey Rodríguez, CNN Money, 16 May 2026
  • Even incipient technologies like quantum computing rely on specialized fabrication and precision engineering.
    — Eric Kutcher, Fortune, 13 May 2026
Definition of incipient
Adjective
  • Daniel Rios would eventually make this nascent kit business into a major brand, Aca Sports.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026
  • The secondary market, meanwhile, is genuinely nascent, too thin to show the appreciation curves buyers rely on with Bordeaux or Napa.
    — Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of nascent
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.

Browse Nearby Words

inchoate
inchoative
incidence
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inchoative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inchoative. Accessed 15 Jul. 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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All