in•i•ti•ate
Pronunciation: (v.i-nish'ē-āt"adj., n.i-nish'ē-it, -āt"), [key] — v., adj., n. -at•ed, -at•ing,
—v.t. - to begin, set going, or originate: to initiate major social reforms.
- to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.
- to admit or accept with formal rites into an organization or group, secret knowledge, adult society, etc.
- to propose (a measure) by initiative procedure: to initiate a constitutional amendment.
—adj. - initiated; begun.
- admitted into an organizaton or group, secret knowledge, etc.
- introduced to the knowledge of a subject.
—n. - a person who has been initiated.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.