initiates

initiates — verb

IPA/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/
KK[ˌɪnˈɪʃiəts]IPA/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/
  • initiatespresent simple I / you / we / they
  • initiateses3rd person singular
  • initiatesing-ing form
  • initiatesedpast simple

1. to make a process, activity, or plan start happening, especially one that contin

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to make a process, activity, or plan start happening, especially one that continues for some time or follows a series of steps

Example

The city council initiated a program to reduce waste across all neighborhoods.

initiate + [program/study/talks/investigation]

Reema initiated a conversation about flexible working hours during the team meeting.

Common collocations
  • initiate a program
  • initiate a study
  • initiate talks
  • initiate a review
  • initiate an investigation
  • initiate proceedings
Synonyms
  • begin

    more general and less formal; used in everyday speech

  • start

    the most common alternative; fits casual and formal registers

  • launch

    suggests a major, public beginning such as a product or campaign

  • commence

    more formal; common in official announcements and legal language

Antonyms
  • terminate

    formal; to bring something to an end

  • conclude

    to finish or bring to a close, especially after a process

Grammar Patterns

initiate + noun phrase (project/process/study/talks)

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal or professional contexts such as business, government, or academia. Less common in everyday casual speech, where start or begin are preferred.

Common Mistakes

We initiated to work on the project.
We initiated the project.
initiate is transitive and takes a direct object, not a to-infinitive.
She initiated a new job last week.
She started a new job last week.
initiate implies starting a process or project, not simply beginning an activity.

2. to give a person formal admission to a society, organization, or field of study,

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give a person formal admission to a society, organization, or field of study, frequently by means of a ceremony or structured teaching that unveils the group's core knowledge

Example

Hassan was initiated into the music club during his first week at college.

initiate + [someone] + into + [group]

The master potter initiated Yumi into the traditional methods used in the village for generations.

Common collocations
  • initiate into a society
  • initiate into the mysteries
  • initiate new members
  • initiate through a ceremony
  • initiate with a ritual
Synonyms
  • induct

    more formal; focuses on the official admission process, often military or academic

  • admit

    emphasizes permission to enter; less focused on ceremony

  • introduce

    softer; can mean giving a first experience without formal rites

  • enlist

    specifically for joining the military or a cause

Antonyms
  • exclude

    to deliberately keep someone out of a group

  • expel

    to force someone to leave a group they were already part of

Grammar Patterns

initiate + someone + into + group / area of knowledge

Usage Note

Commonly followed by into when naming the group or field. The object is the person being admitted; the group or subject is introduced by into.

Common Mistakes

They initiated him the society.
They initiated him into the society.
the preposition into is required when naming the group.
The school initiated a program to help new students.' (if meaning they admitted them)
The school initiated the new students into the program.
without into, the verb means 'start', not 'induct'.

initiates — noun

IPA/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.ət/
KK[ˌɪnˈɪʃiəts]IPA/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.ət/

initiates — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Initiate, begin, start, commence, and launch all refer to the early moment of an action or event, but they differ in formality and scope. Begin and start are the most common and neutral choices for everyday use: beginning a meal or starting a car carries no special weight. Commence is markedly formal and appears in official notices, ceremonies, or legal documents — for example, 'The trial will commence next Monday.' Launch suggests a bold, public beginning, often with fanfare or marketing: a company launches a product, not a conversation. Initiate sits between begin and commence on the formality scale — it is common in professional and academic writing (initiating a study, a review, or negotiations) but less natural in casual speech. Use begin or start when talking about simple daily activities; use initiate when the focus is on setting a deliberate process in motion.

initiate ↗begin ↗start ↗commence ↗launch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • initiation ceremony
  • initiation process
  • initiation rite

Adverbs

  • formally initiated
  • officially initiated
  • recently initiated
  • newly initiated

Phrases

  • to initiate proceedings
  • to initiate contact
  • to initiate a discussion

Prepositions

  • initiate into
  • initiate by
  • initiate with

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word initiate comes from Latin initiatus, the past participle of initiare meaning 'to begin' or 'to initiate into secrets or mysteries.' This verb was formed from initium, meaning 'a beginning' or 'an entrance,' which itself came from inīre (to go into, to enter upon) — a combination of in- (into) and īre (to go). The 'start something' sense existed in Latin side by side with the 'admit to a group' sense because Roman religious and mystery cults used initiare for the formal rites that marked a person's entrance into a new spiritual community. English borrowed both meanings directly from Latin in the early 1600s.

First known use

1533

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun