What does "initiate" mean?

1. (to start a process) to make something start, especially an official process or a plan. 2. (to admit to a group) to introduce someone to a new activity or to make them a member of a secret group. 3. (a new member) a person who has recently joined a group or has just learned secret information.

How do you use "initiate"?

Often takes a direct object representing a formal procedure or project. Commonly used with the preposition 'into'.

initiate

v. · n.

US //ˌɪˈnɪʃiˌeɪt// ini·ti·ate

1 to start a process (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

to make something start, especially an official process or a plan.

to set a process or action in motion. Transitive; often used in formal or professional contexts regarding procedures.

Example

The government decided to initiate a new program to help small businesses.

Example

The legal team chose to initiate formal proceedings after the mediation phase failed to produce a satisfactory settlement for the claimant.

Usage

Often takes a direct object representing a formal procedure or project.
2 to admit to a group (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal

to introduce someone to a new activity or to make them a member of a secret group.

to admit someone into a membership, often through a specific ritual or by providing specialized knowledge.

Example

They will initiate the new members into the club during a ceremony tonight.

Example

The secret society would only initiate those who had proven their loyalty through a series of rigorous intellectual challenges.

Usage

Commonly used with the preposition 'into'.
- induct
- admit
- enrol
- expel
- exclude

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3 a new member (n.)
C1 Advanced Formal

a person who has recently joined a group or has just learned secret information.

a person who has been recently initiated into an organization or a body of knowledge.

Example

The initiates were nervous as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Example

As a recent initiate to the research circle, she spent most of the first meeting listening to the senior fellows debate policy.
- veteran
- expert

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Latin initiātus, perfect passive participle of initiō (“to begin, originate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from initium (“a beginning”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix), from initus (“an entrance, coming in, approach”) + -ium, from ineō + -tus, from in- + eō (“to go”). Cognate with French initier.

Etymology 2

From a substantivization of the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Cognate with French initié (“an initiate, neophyte”).

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Latin initiātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.

Word family

Verbinitiate
Adjectiveuninitiated