take the initiative
to take action first or on one's own; to make the first move
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You should take the initiative and ask for a raise.”
“Instead of waiting for instructions, she decided to take the initiative and organize the messy office files herself.”
“The manager praised the young intern for taking the initiative to propose a new strategy before anyone else had even identified the problem.”
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 03
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 04
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 05
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 06
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 07
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
- 08
I take it
Used to express one's understanding of another's position.
Last updated August 10, 2026