initiate: Meaning and Definition of

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.
  1. to begin, set going, or originate: to initiate major social reforms.
  2. to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.
  3. to admit or accept with formal rites into an organization or group, secret knowledge, adult society, etc.
  4. to propose (a measure) by initiative procedure: to initiate a constitutional amendment.
—adj.
  1. initiated; begun.
  2. admitted into an organizaton or group, secret knowledge, etc.
  3. introduced to the knowledge of a subject.
—n.
  1. a person who has been initiated.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also: