initiate

C1 Topic:People & Society

US /ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/ See IPA manual

Freq #10647

Meanings

1

verb
To start or set something in motion.

The company initiated a new training program for staff.
2

verb
To formally admit someone into a group, often with a special ceremony.

New members are initiated into the society each spring.
3

noun
A person who has been newly introduced to a group or special knowledge.

The rituals are familiar to every initiate of the order.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to start or set something... commence institute start

2 verb · to formally admit someone... induct

3 noun · a person who has been newly... enlightened

Opposites

cease complete conclude discontinue end finish halt pause stop suspend

Word family

Forms initiatedinitiatesinitiatinguninitiated

Derived forms initiateeinitiaticnoninitiatednoninitiatingoverinitiateoverinitiatedphotoinitiatephotoinitiatedpreinitiatedreinitiateself-initiateuninitiate

Related forms initiableinitialinitialisminitialize initials initiation initiativeinitiatorresume

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.

*h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

People & Society Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# initiate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/
**Frequency rank:** 10647

## Meanings
1. To start or set something in motion.
2. To formally admit someone into a group, often with a special ceremony.
3. A person who has been newly introduced to a group or special knowledge.

## Examples
- The company initiated a new training program for staff.
- New members are initiated into the society each spring.
- The rituals are familiar to every initiate of the order.

## Antonyms
- cease
- complete
- conclude
- discontinue
- end
- finish
- halt
- pause
- stop
- suspend

## Derived Forms
- initiatee
- initiatic
- noninitiated
- noninitiating
- overinitiate
- overinitiated
- photoinitiate
- photoinitiated
- preinitiated
- reinitiate
- self-initiate
- uninitiate

## Related Forms
- initiable
- initial
- initialism
- initialize
- initials
- initiation
- initiative
- initiator
- resume

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *h₁ey-

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Initiate is 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. The historical chain includes *h₁ey- (Proto-Indo-European). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as initiatee, initiatic, noninitiated, and noninitiating and related forms such as initiable, initial, and initialism. In present use it covers to start or set something in motion, to formally admit someone into a group, often with a special ceremony, and a person who has been newly introduced to a group or special knowledge.

## Topics
- People & Society
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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initiate

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