What does "initiate" mean?
A new member of an organization.
Initiate
/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A new member of an organization.
- Grammar: initiate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: beginner, novice, abecedarian, accept.
- Useful contrasts: closing paragraph, complete search, complete structure.
- Usage evidence: "I'll do my best" often means "I'll initiate nothing".
How to use "initiate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "initiate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "initiate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "initiate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "initiate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "initiate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "beginner" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "initiate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A new member of an organization.
- 2 people who have been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity wordnet
- 3 One who has been through a ceremony of initiation.
- 4 someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field wordnet
- 5 One who is oriented in and familiar with a topic or subject; especially, one who is an expert in it.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 someone new to a field or activity wordnet
Verb
- 1 To begin; to start. transitive
"How are changes of this sort to be initiated?"
- 2 set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for wordnet
- 3 To instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce. transitive
"Divine Providence would only initiate and enter mankind into the useful knowledge of her, leaving the rest to employ our industry."
- 4 bring up a topic for discussion wordnet
- 5 To confer membership on; especially, to admit to a secret order with mysterious rites or ceremonies. transitive
"The Athenians believed that he who was initiated and instructed in the mysteries would obtain celestial honour after death."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 bring into being wordnet
- 7 To do the first act; to perform the first rite; to take the initiative. intransitive
"The king himself initiates to the power; Scatters with quivering hand the sacred flour, And the stream sprinkles."
- 8 take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of wordnet
- 9 accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Unpracticed, untried, new. obsolete
"the initiate fear that wants hard use"
- 2 Begun, commenced, introduced to or in the rudiments (of), newly admitted. obsolete
"To rise in science as in bliss, / Initiate in the secrets of the skies."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
""I'll do my best" often means "I'll initiate nothing"."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "initiate"?
Common synonyms include: beginner, novice, abecedarian, accept, accomplished, accomplished fact.
How do you use "initiate" in a sentence?
"I'll do my best" often means "I'll initiate nothing".
How do you pronounce "initiate"?
Pronounced /ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/.
Etymology
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.