initiate

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin initiātus, perfect passive participle of initiō (begin, originate), from initium (a beginning), from ineō (go in, enter upon, begin), from in + (go).

PronunciationEdit

  • (verb) IPA(key): /ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/, /ɪˈnɪʃ.ɪ.eɪt/
    • (file)
  • (noun, adjective) IPA(key): /ɪˈnɪʃ.i.ət/, /ɪˈnɪʃ.ɪ.ət/
  • Hyphenation: ini‧ti‧ate

NounEdit

initiate (plural initiates)

  1. A new member of an organization.
  2. One who has been through a ceremony of initiation.
  3. One who is oriented in and familiar with a topic or subject; especially, one who is an expert in it.
    Antonym: noninitiate
    Coordinate terms: expert, nonexpert, layperson, amateur, dilettante, journeyman, master

TranslationsEdit

VerbEdit

initiate (third-person singular simple present initiates, present participle initiating, simple past and past participle initiated)

  1. (transitive) To begin; to start.
    • 1859-1860, Isaac Taylor, Ultimate Civilisation
      How are changes of this sort to be initiated?
  2. To instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce.
    • 1653-1655, Henry More, An Antidote against Atheism
      Divine Providence would only initiate and enter mankind into the useful knowledge of her, leaving the rest to employ our industry.
    • 1693, [John Locke], “§94”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: [] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, [], →OCLC:
      to initiate his pupil in any part of learning
  3. To confer membership on; especially, to admit to a secret order with mysterious rites or ceremonies.
  4. (intransitive) To do the first act; to perform the first rite; to take the initiative.

SynonymsEdit

AntonymsEdit

Related termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See alsoEdit

  • resume (to begin where one left off)

AdjectiveEdit

initiate (comparative more initiate, superlative most initiate)

  1. (obsolete) Unpractised; untried; new.
  2. (obsolete) Begun; commenced; introduced to, or instructed in, the rudiments; newly admitted.

Further readingEdit

LatinEdit

ParticipleEdit

initiāte

  1. vocative masculine singular of initiātus