Library / English Dictionary

INITIATE

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

People who have been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity

Example:

it is very familiar to the initiate

Synonyms:

enlightened; initiate

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("initiate" is a kind of...):

people ((plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively)

Antonym:

uninitiate (people who have not been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity)

Derivation:

initiate (accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field

Synonyms:

initiate; learned person; pundit; savant

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("initiate" is a kind of...):

bookman; scholar; scholarly person; student (a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "initiate"):

polymath (a person of great and varied learning)

Derivation:

initiate (accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Someone new to a field or activity

Synonyms:

beginner; initiate; novice; tiro; tyro

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("initiate" is a kind of...):

unskilled person (a person who lacks technical training)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "initiate"):

abecedarian (a novice learning the rudiments of some subject)

apprentice; learner; prentice (works for an expert to learn a trade)

cub; greenhorn; rookie (an awkward and inexperienced youth)

landlubber; landsman; lubber (an inexperienced sailor; a sailor on the first voyage)

entrant; fledgeling; fledgling; freshman; neophyte; newbie; newcomer; starter (any new participant in some activity)

tenderfoot (an inexperienced person (especially someone inexperienced in outdoor living))

trainee (someone who is being trained)

Derivation:

initiate (accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for

Example:

Hitler's attack on Poland led up to World War II

Synonyms:

initiate; lead up

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "initiate" is one way to...):

initiate; originate; start (bring into being)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

initiation (an act that sets in motion some course of events)

initiative (serving to set in motion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bring up a topic for discussion

Synonyms:

broach; initiate

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "initiate" is one way to...):

discuss; hash out; talk over (speak with others about (something); talk (something) over in detail; have a discussion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "initiate"):

address; cover; deal; handle; plow; treat (act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 3

Meaning:

Bring into being

Example:

Start a foundation

Synonyms:

initiate; originate; start

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "initiate" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "initiate"):

date back; date from; go back (belong to an earlier time)

set (apply or start)

initiate; lead up (set in motion, start an event or prepare the way for)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

initiation (an act that sets in motion some course of events)

initiation (the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new)

initiative; initiatory (serving to set in motion)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of

Example:

This South African surgeon pioneered heart transplants

Synonyms:

initiate; pioneer

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "initiate" is one way to...):

cause; do; make (give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "initiate"):

strike up (begin)

innovate; introduce (bring something new to an environment)

activate; actuate; set off; spark; spark off; touch off; trigger; trigger off; trip (put in motion or move to act)

constitute; establish; found; institute; plant (set up or lay the groundwork for)

arrange; stage (plan, organize, and carry out (an event))

mount (put up or launch)

attempt; set about; undertake (enter upon an activity or enterprise)

devise; get up; machinate; organise; organize; prepare (arrange by systematic planning and united effort)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

initiation (the act of starting something for the first time; introducing something new)

initiator (a person who initiates a course of action)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Accept people into an exclusive society or group, usually with some rite

Example:

African men are initiated when they reach puberty

Synonyms:

induct; initiate

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "initiate" is one way to...):

admit; include; let in (allow participation in or the right to be part of; permit to exercise the rights, functions, and responsibilities of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP

Derivation:

initiate (people who have been introduced to the mysteries of some field or activity)

initiate (someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field)

initiate (someone new to a field or activity)

initiation (a formal entry into an organization or position or office)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The maximal flow achieved during the maximally forced expiration initiated at maximum inhalation as a proportion of the predicted normal value.

(Percent Predicted Peak Expiratory Flow, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

The extrinsic pathway is triggered by death receptor engagement, which initiates a signaling cascade mediated by caspase-8 activation.

(Apoptosis Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/KEGG)

Jo rescued his babies, and marched up and down, with one on each arm, as if already initiated into the mysteries of babytending, while Laurie laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

A family of soluble proteins that initiate signaling pathways involved in the process of new blood vessel formation.

(Angiokine, NCI Thesaurus)

DNA replication is initiated by the Origin Recognition Complex (ORC).

(ORC Subunit Gene, NCI Thesaurus)

These agents block the action of natural sympathomimetic neurotransmitters (norepinephrine and related substances), and can initiate physiological responses such as vasodilation, bradycardia, and pupil contraction.

(Alpha-adrenergic antagonist, NCI Thesaurus)

Octreotide pamoate binds to somatostatin receptors expressed by some neuroendocrine and non-neuroendocrine tumor cells, thereby initiating somatostatin receptor-mediated apoptosis.

(Octreotide Pamoate, NCI Thesaurus)

Monoclonal antibody R24 binds to GD3-positive cells, thereby initiating antibody-dependent cytotoxicity against GD3-positive cells.

(Monoclonal Antibody R24, NCI Thesaurus)

Following HIV infection, if anti-HIV therapy is not initiated, the number of CD4+ T cells in the blood begin to fall, though the process may be slow.

(HIV seeks refuge in immune cells to avoid full elimination, SciDev.Net)

The neuronal survival signal is initiated by binding of neurotrophins to Trk receptors in the presynaptic membrane, and then travels back along the axon to the neuronal cell body.

(Neuronal Survival Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)