initiate

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English

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Etymology

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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).

Pronunciation

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

Noun

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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

Translations

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Verb

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

  1. (transitive) To begin; to start.
    • 1860, Isaac Taylor, “(please specify the page)”, in Ultimate Civilization and Other Essays, London: Bell and Daldy [], →OCLC:
      How are changes of this sort to be initiated?
  2. (transitive) To instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce.
    • 1653, Henry More, An Antidote against Atheisme, or An Appeal to the Natural Faculties of the Minde of Man, whether There Be Not a God, London: [] Roger Daniel, [], →OCLC:
      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. (transitive) To confer membership on; especially, to admit to a secret order with mysterious rites or ceremonies.
    • 1738–1741, William Warburton, The Divine Legation of Moses [], volumes (please specify |volume=I, II.1, or II.2), London: [] Fletcher Gyles, [], →OCLC:
      The Athenians believed that he who was initiated and instructed in the mysteries would obtain celestial honour after death.
    • 1714 August 15 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “WEDNESDAY, August 4, 1714”, in The Spectator, number 576; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, [], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC:
      He was initiated into half a dozen clubs before he was one and twenty.
      The spelling has been modernized.
  4. (intransitive) To do the first act; to perform the first rite; to take the initiative.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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

See also

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  • resume (to begin where one left off)

Adjective

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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 reading

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Latin

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Participle

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initiāte

  1. vocative masculine singular of initiātus