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Verb: initiate  i'ni-shee,eyt
  1. Bring into being
    "He initiated a new program";
    - originate, start, father
     
  2. Take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of
    "This South African surgeon initiated heart transplants";
    - pioneer
     
  3. Accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite
    "African men are initiated when they reach puberty";
    - induct
     
  4. Bring up a topic for discussion
    - broach
     
  5. Set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for
    - lead up
Noun: initiate  i'ni-shee,eyt
  1. Someone new to a field or activity
    - novice, beginner, tyro, tiro, rookie [informal]
     
  2. Someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field
    - learned person, pundit, savant
     
  3. People who have been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity
    "it is very familiar to the initiate";
    - enlightened

Derived forms: initiates, initiated, initiating

See also: originate in

Type of: admit, bookman, cause, create, discuss, do, engender, hash out, include, let in, make, people, scholar, scholarly person, talk over, unskilled person

Antonym: uninitiate

Encyclopedia: Initiate