What does initiate mean?
Word: Initiate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Initiate means to make something begin, such as a plan, a project or a conversation.
Synonyms: start, set up
Antonyms: end, finish
How do you spell initiate?
Syllables: i - ni - ti - ate
Tricky part: The middle t sounds like sh, but it is written as a t. Students who spell by sound write inishiate or inisiate.
Watch out for: inishiate, inisiate
Memory tip: Like nation and patient, initiate hides a sh sound inside a plain t.
Initiate in a sentence
Example 1: Our class monitor initiated a plan to plant twenty saplings.
Example 2: The school will initiate a reading week in July.
Example 3: Aditi initiated the conversation by asking the new girl her name.
Fun Fact
Initiate can also be a noun, said with a different ending: an initiate is a person who has just been allowed to join a group or club.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
initiate
a) conclude
b) launch
c) trigger
d) begin
Show answer
a) conclude. To initiate is to start something; to conclude is to bring it to an end.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
ttieniia
a) irritate
b) intimate
c) imitate
d) initiate
Show answer
d) initiate. Three i letters and two t letters are a strong clue; imitate and intimate need an m, irritate an r.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
in_ti_te
a) a,a
b) e,a
c) i,a
d) i,e
Show answer
c) i,a. Initial shares the start, i-n-i, and the last part is ate, as in create.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) comense
b) initiate
c) establesh
d) begining
Show answer
b) initiate. Beginning needs a double n, commence has mm and ce, and establish has an i before the sh.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these could you initiate?
a) a chess club at school
b) a sunrise
c) the monsoon rain
d) your own birthday
Show answer
a) a chess club at school
2. Which sentence uses initiate correctly?
a) She initiated her shoes under the bed.
b) The milk initiated in the fridge.
c) The clock initiated on the wall.
d) The captain initiated the team meeting.
Show answer
d) The captain initiated the team meeting.
