to initiate
426
4.5
- verb
- /ɪˈnɪʃiˌeɪt/
:
iniciar
- It would allow the Attorney General to initiate suits for school integration.
- initiate a conversation
- initiate a project
- initiate a discussion
Yes, I'll just push this red button to initiate phase three.
- Yes, I'll just push this red button to initiate phase three.
- And then he may try to initiate something sexual.
- But tell us about what can not just initiate, but what can sustain motivation?
- What is the ability of the combatants to initiate combat?
- So this next one is initiating intimacy.
- This matters most in relationships that we may initiate in adulthood.
- He will not initiate a full scale military invasion.
- Mel, how do you initiate being vulnerable without word vomiting?
- She was the one who initiated the social service investigation.
- And then he says it is initiated by that side.
- But as soon as that spark initiated, it erupts.
Examples
-
Okay, we need to initiate prelaunch, or we lose the window.
-
To start the meeting, the manager will initiate a discussion about the new policy changes.
-
That takes practice, but we can initiate it at will on demand.
-
Yes, I'll just push this red button to initiate phase three.
-
Well, what we now need to do is to initiate the chemical reaction.
-
Teachers reported that both students often failed to initiate and complete academic tasks.
Academic text (2015) -
If you do not make a payment on your mortgage this week, we will initiate foreclosure proceedings.
-
Local guidance should be consulted regarding who can initiate this drug before prescribing.
Academic text (2012) -
For him, it was important that the adult learner initiate the reflective learning process.
Academic text (2011) -
We've initiated a descent to 1-6000.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
To begin an action, event or process
∞
1.0
To start an activity, event, or speech
∞
1.0
To make something happen
692
2.9
Introduce a new person or thing into a group
481
1.8
To begin doing something, for example a task or meeting
422
4.2
To cause something to start or happen
203
3.0
To make something happen
178
2.1
To begin a talk, book, or event with a short opening
168
5.3
Cause a process, event, or feeling to start
161
4.4
To begin something
154
3.4
To cause something to start, often an idea or strong feeling
153
3.8
To start or create something
129
3.5
To start an event or activity, often officially
101
3.8
To officially start something such as a rule, process, or legal action
51
3.7
To officially start a careful check by a government, company, or the police
49
3.5
Make something happen
38
3.0
To make a machine or system begin to work
35
4.6
To start something new, like a new era or event
32
6.3
To officially begin something, often in a ceremony
26
6.9
To make a feeling or situation start
25
3.5
To make something begin to move or happen
23
7.4
To bring up a difficult or sensitive subject
21
3.2
To take action that causes events or results
16
2.8
To start a meeting or project by taking the first step
10
3.8
To start an event or activity, for example a speech
4
8.6
To make something happen, for example a plan or change
1
4.9
Start a series of actions that lead to later changes
1
5.1
To start a project or activity
1
7.3
To make a machine start working
1
8.9
To start something in an official way
Antonyms
How Forceful
Surface Forms
Morphology
initiate = initiation (semi-transparent) = init + ate
The verb is built from the Latin combining form plus the productive suffix '-ate'; learners who know 'initiation' or 'initial' can infer the basic sense but the combining form 'init-' is not a standalone English word.
Etymology
Initiate comes from the Latin root initium 'beginning' (from parts in- and ire, 'in' and 'to go'). So to initiate something is to 'set it going' or start it, and you can see the same root in the word initial.