initiate

View more Science videos

in the sense 'to instruct (a person) in some piece of knowledge', has the person as object and not the item of knowledge. You can initiate someone in or into something but you cannot initiate something in or into someone. The correct word for the second construction is instil. Examples of each:

Parsons is so smitten with Hubbard that he almost immediately initiates him into the highest levels of his occult church and uses him as an assistant in various rituals—LA Weekly, American English 2004

While I have managed to instil these ideals into my kids, many of those they encounter in the streets or parks have not been taught one jot of respect for anyone—Liverpool Daily Post, 2007.

Previous:	initial, inhuman, inhumane, inheritor
Next:	innings, innuendo, inoculate

verb

1. To go about the initial step in doing (something): approach, begin, commence, embark, enter, get off, inaugurate, institute, launch, lead off, open, set about, set out, set to, start, take on, take up, undertake. Informal kick off. Idioms: get cracking, get going, get the show on the road. See start/end.
2. To admit formally into membership or office, as with ritual: inaugurate, induct, install, instate, invest. See accept/reject.

noun

One who is just starting to learn or do something: abecedarian, beginner, fledgling, freshman, greenhorn, neophyte, novice, novitiate, tenderfoot, tyro. Slang rookie. See start/end.

v

Definition: start, introduce
Antonyms: close, complete, conclude, end, finish, terminate

v

Definition: teach
Antonyms: ignore, neglect

1. a gene product that interacts specifically with the replicator site on a replicon resulting in the initiation of a new round of DNA replication.
2. a starting point for either nucleic-acid transcription or translation.
3. a carcinogen that initiates the first stage of carcinogenesis.
4. any compound that, when added to monomer, initiates a polymerization reaction.

Previous:	initiation signal, initiation factor, initiation complex
Next:	initiator transfer RNA, innate, innate immunity

For a list of words related to initiate, see:

• Individuals and Objects - initiate: new convert to belief system

---

See words rhyming with "initiate."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Initiate.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - initiere, indlede, begynde, iværksætte, tage initiativ til, indvi, indføre
n. - nyindviet, begynder, igangsættelse, iværksættelse
adj. - initieret, indledt, iværksat, taget initiativ til, indviet, indført, begyndt

Nederlands (Dutch)
starten, beginnen, inwijden, initiatief nemen tot, ingewijde

Français (French)
v. tr. - mettre en ¯uvre, entreprendre (des améliorations), initier qn à, (Comput) lancer (un programme), amorcer, établir (une communication)
n. - initié, adepte
adj. - initié

Deutsch (German)
v. - aufnehmen, einleiten, einweihen, initiieren
n. - Eingeweihter
adj. - eben begonnen, eingeführt

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - αρχίζω, (μτφ.) εγκαινιάζω, εισάγω, κάνω έναρξη, μυώ, μυσταγωγώ
n. - μύστης, μυημένος

Italiano (Italian)
avviare, introdurre, iniziare, iniziato

Português (Portuguese)
v. - iniciar, empossar
n. - iniciado (m)

Русский (Russian)
начинать, приступать, посвящать, посвященный

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - iniciar, entablar, admitir, hacer pagar la novatada
n. - iniciado
adj. - iniciado

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - (på)börja, sätta i gång, initiera, inviga, uppta, ta initiativet till
n. - (nyligen) invigd person, nybörjare

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
开始, 传授, 发动, 接受初步知识者, 新加入者, 新加入的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 開始, 傳授, 發動
n. - 接受初步知識者, 新加入者
adj. - 新加入的

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 시작하다, 입문 시키다, 전수하다, 제안하다
n. - 신입자, 전수자
adj. - 초보를 배운, 전수 받은, 시작된

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 開始する, 着手する, 入会させる, 手ほどきをする, 授ける, 始める, 初歩を教える, 秘伝を授ける, 加入させる
n. - 手ほどきを受けた人, 新入り
adj. - 手ほどきを受けた, 新入りの, 新入会の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يبدأ, يستهل, يدخل في عضويه جمعيه (الاسم) الشخص الذي أدخل للتو في عضويه جمعيه‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הקנה ידע, קיבל כחבר, הכניס כחבר, הכניס בסוד, יזם, התחיל, הפעיל‬
n. - ‮חבר (באגודה סודית), בעל ידע מיוחד‬
adj. - ‮שהתקבל זה עתה כחבר‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.