initiative

Meaning

Adj

1. (archaic, not-comparable) Serving to initiate.
2. (US, not-comparable) In which voter initiatives can be brought to the ballot.

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A beginning; a first move.
2. (countable, uncountable) A new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem.
3. (countable, uncountable) The ability to act first or on one's own.
4. (countable, uncountable) An issue to be voted on, brought to the ballot by a sufficient number of signatures from among the voting public.

Opposite of

noninitiative

Synonyms

enterprise

opening

effort

first step

first move

preliminary

start

drive

first

1st

forestalling

go-ahead

hegemony

inaugural

initiatory

lead

leadership

maiden

motion

pioneering

prefatory

undertaking

enterprisingness

opening move

inception

initial

initialize

initiate

theory of conscious activity

innovativeness

introduction

introductory

inventive

ambition

activity

prior consideration

motility

innovation

onset

beginning

pioneer

frist step

introductory step

attempt

primer

primeval

propaedeutic

proposal

propose

recommendations

resource

Translations

initiative

Initiative

iniziativa

iniciativa

πρωτοβουλία

iniciativa

iniciativa

intraprendenza

initiatief

girişim

Unternehmungsgeist

teşebbüs

orsus

ouverture

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/

Etymology

Cognate with Latin: -

In summary

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.

Sentences

The museum was an initiative of the Merseyside Development Corporation .