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Added 9 October 2026

initiate

/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/ noun

In Latin: initiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about initiate at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Someone new to a field or activity.
Someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field.
People who have been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity.
it is very familiar to the initiate

verb

Bring into being.
He initiated a new program
Take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of.
This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants
Accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite.
African men are initiated when they reach puberty

Origin

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 Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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