Word
initiate
Phoneticsini·ti·ate
/ˌɪˈnɪʃiˌeɪt/
Definitions
01to start a process
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal
v. to make something start, especially an official process or a plan.
v. to set a process or action in motion. Transitive; often used in formal or professional contexts regarding procedures.
日本語:開始する※
“The government decided to initiate a new program to help small businesses.”
“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.
02to admit to a group
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to introduce someone to a new activity or to make them a member of a secret group.
v. to admit someone into a membership, often through a specific ritual or by providing specialized knowledge.
“They will initiate the new members into the club during a ceremony tonight.”
“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'.
03a new member
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a person who has recently joined a group or has just learned secret information.
n. a person who has been recently initiated into an organization or a body of knowledge.
“The initiates were nervous as they waited for the ceremony to begin.”
“As a recent initiate to the research circle, she spent most of the first meeting listening to the senior fellows debate policy.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “initiate” in context.
Verb
01. initiate change
“The new CEO was hired specifically to initiate change within the stagnant corporate culture.”
verb + noun
02. initiate process
“You must submit the formal application to initiate the process of obtaining a work visa.”
verb + noun
03. initiate programme
“The government plans to initiate a new programme to support small businesses in rural areas.”
verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“Another change coming to Bumble will extend the time-limit users have to initiate a conversation after matching.” “But I have seen that they still often expect their professors to respond quickly when they initiate an email exchange.” “Near the end of his life, Ed asked Daniel to “bring my art out into the world.” That request initiated a lifetime of work.” “They were ancient and vaguely lizard-like creatures, initiating vertebrates’ initial transition from water to land .” Etymology
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.
From a substantivization of the adjective, see -ate (noun-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more. Cognate with French initié (“an initiate, neophyte”).
Borrowed from Latin initiātus, see -ate (adjective-forming suffix) and Etymology 1 for more.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/initiate
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0