Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
initiative en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From French initiative, from Medieval Latin *initiativus (“serving to initiate”), from Late Latin initiare (“to begin, to initiate”), from Latin initium (“beginning”), from ineo (“enter, begin”). By surface analysis, initiate + -ive.
Meanings
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(archaic, not-comparable) Serving to initiate.
As for Apollos he was skillfull in the Scriptures, and mightily confuted the Iewes by them, he had more then this initiative wisedome, and knew better the difference betweene the baptisme of Christ, and of Iohn, then it seemeth this Iesuite doth.
1632, Roger Puttock, A Rejoynder unto William Malone’s Reply to the First Article, Dublin: The Company of Stationers, page 78:suspected! that indefinite word, which was tortured into every meaning of injustice and oppression, and became what the French call the mot de ralliement, the initiative term of captivity and death
1795, Helen Maria Williams, Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France, London: G.G. and J. Robinson, Volume 1, Letter 1, p. 5:The success of that initiative dish: that first experiment of hers in cookery: was so entire, so unalloyed and perfect, that John Westlock and Tom agreed she must have been studying the art in secret for a long time past;
1844, Charles Dickens, chapter 39, in Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, page 461:
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(US, not-comparable) In which voter initiatives can be brought to the ballot.
The second row shows that initiative states fill more constitutional offices by election than noninitiative states, and the difference is statistically significant after controlling for region and population.
a. 2008, John G. Matsusaka, "Direct Democracy and the Executive Branch", in, 2008, Shaun Bowler and Amihai Glazer, editors, Direct Democracy's Impact on American Political Institutions, Palgrave Macmillan, page 122 http://books.google.com/books?id=J6swcucKdNIC&pg=PA122&dq=initiative
Antonyms
noninitiative
Synonyms
initiatory · introductory · preliminary · inceptive
Translations (9)
bg начален (serving to initiate) · it preliminare (serving to initiate) · bg встъпителен (serving to initiate) · pt iniciador (serving to initiate) · he התחלתי (serving to initiate) · sh inicijativno (serving to initiate) · he יוזם (serving to initiate) · it iniziale (serving to initiate) · pt iniciativo (serving to initiate)
initiative en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From French initiative, from Medieval Latin *initiativus (“serving to initiate”), from Late Latin initiare (“to begin, to initiate”), from Latin initium (“beginning”), from ineo (“enter, begin”). By surface analysis, initiate + -ive.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A beginning; a first move.
Pastor Moses says the initiative was born of pragmatism, compassion toward all Sri Lankans, and a desire to model the same generosity he experienced as a young person. […] Not only are all religions welcome at the Voice Community Kitchen, but experts also say such initiatives could be key to improving ethnoreligious engagement and lead to better conflict mediation in the future.
2023 January 6, Munza Mushtaq, “In Sri Lanka, Pastor Moses shows the power of a free lunch”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 26 Jun 2026:
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(countable, uncountable) A new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem.
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(countable, uncountable) The ability to act first or on one's own.
The theoretical source, or rather justification, of that machine was Lenin's conviction that the party, by virtue of its scientific knowledge of society, is the one legitimate source of political initiative.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 391:
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(countable, uncountable) An issue to be voted on, brought to the ballot by a sufficient number of signatures from among the voting public.
Forms
Deriveds
popular initiative · take the initiative · counterinitiative · direct initiative · initiatively · mixed initiative · seize the initiative
Relateds
initialize · initialism · initiation · initial · initiate · initialization
Translations (97)
id prakarsa (a beginning; a first move) · ru инициати́ва (a beginning; a first move) · bg начало (a beginning; a first move) · he יוזמה (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · be ініцыяты́ва (a beginning; a first move) · no initiativ (a beginning; a first move) · yi איניציאַטיוו (a beginning; a first move) · ml ഉദ്യമം (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · ba башланғыс (a beginning; a first move) · de Initiative (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · ba башланғыс (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · uk почи́н (a beginning; a first move) · pt iniciativa (the ability to act first or on one's own) · el πρωτοβουλία (the ability to act first or on one's own) · sh inicijatíva (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · gl iniciativa (a beginning; a first move) · es iniciativa (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · bg инициатива (issue to be voted on) · hu kezdeményezőkészség (the ability to act first or on one's own) · fr initiative (a beginning; a first move) · fa ابتکار (the ability to act first or on one's own) · fi aloite (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · ota تشبث (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · fi aloite (issue to be voted on) · fr initiative (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · ar مُبَادَرَة (a beginning; a first move) · tr inisiyatif (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ru почи́н (a beginning; a first move) · ro inițiativă (the ability to act first or on one's own) · tr girişim (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · ro inițiativă (a beginning; a first move) · ko 진취성 (the ability to act first or on one's own) · hu vállalkozószellem (the ability to act first or on one's own) · hu kezdeményezés (a beginning; a first move) · da initiativ (a beginning; a first move) · fi ehdotus (issue to be voted on) · yi איניציאַטיוו (the ability to act first or on one's own) · uk ініціати́ва (a beginning; a first move) · fi oma-aloitteisuus (the ability to act first or on one's own) · sh inicijatíva (a beginning; a first move) · sv initiativ (a beginning; a first move) · ar مُبَادَرَة (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · it proposta (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · fi aloite (a beginning; a first move) · tr ilk adım (a beginning; a first move) · bg предприемчивост (the ability to act first or on one's own) · bg начинание (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · ar مُبَادَرَة (the ability to act first or on one's own) · tr teşebbüs (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · fr initiative (the ability to act first or on one's own) · hu kezdeményezőképesség (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ru инициати́ва (the ability to act first or on one's own) · he יוזמה (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ca iniciativa (the ability to act first or on one's own) · el πρωτοβουλία (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · bg инициати́ва (a beginning; a first move) · pl inicjatywa (a beginning; a first move) · id inisiatif (a beginning; a first move) · fi aloitteellisuus (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ca iniciativa (a beginning; a first move) · be пачы́н (a beginning; a first move) · fi esitys (issue to be voted on) · id inisiatif (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · he משאל עם ביוזמת האזרחים (issue to be voted on) · id prakarsa (the ability to act first or on one's own) · el πρωτοβουλία (a beginning; a first move) · id inisiatif (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ca iniciativa (issue to be voted on) · sk iniciatíva (a beginning; a first move) · pt iniciativa (a beginning; a first move) · fi aloitekyky (the ability to act first or on one's own) · yi איניציאַטיוו (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · cmn 主動權 /主动权 (the ability to act first or on one's own) · gl iniciativa (the ability to act first or on one's own) · cs iniciativa (a beginning; a first move) · gl iniciativa (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · nl initiatief (a beginning; a first move) · ko 진취력 (the ability to act first or on one's own) · it intraprendenza (the ability to act first or on one's own) · de Initiative (the ability to act first or on one's own) · az təşəbbüs (a beginning; a first move) · id prakarsa (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · hi पहल (a beginning; a first move) · ru инициати́ва (a new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem) · gl iniciativa (issue to be voted on) · de Initiative (a beginning; a first move) · hy նախաձեռնություն (a beginning; a first move) · sh inicijatíva (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ml ഉദ്യമം (a beginning; a first move) · it iniziativa (issue to be voted on) · ru предприи́мчивость (the ability to act first or on one's own) · ka ინიციატივა (a beginning; a first move) · it iniziativa (a beginning; a first move) · ml തുടക്കം (a beginning; a first move) · he יוזמה (a beginning; a first move) · kk бастама (a beginning; a first move) · ka ინიციატივა (the ability to act first or on one's own)