What does initiative mean?
Word: Initiative
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Initiative means the ability to decide what to do and act on it without waiting to be told. It can also mean an organised new effort to deal with a problem.
Synonyms: enterprise
How do you spell initiative?
Syllables: i - ni - tia - tive
Tricky part: The sh sound in the middle is the trap. It is spelt ti, not sh or si, so inishiative and inisiative are both wrong.
Watch out for: inishiative, inisiative, initative
Memory tip: Anyone with drive takes the initial step, and initial spells that same sh sound with ti.
Idioms and Phrases
- take the initiative: to be the first to act before anyone else does. Example: "Meher took the initiative and started a recycling drive in her class."
Initiative in a sentence
Example 1: Nobody asked Ritu to help; she cleaned the lab benches on her own initiative.
Example 2: Good team leaders encourage younger players to use their initiative.
Example 3: The school's reading initiative gives every child one new book each month.
Fun Fact
In Switzerland, citizens who gather 100,000 signatures can bring a popular initiative, a proposed change to the constitution, to a national vote.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
initiattive
a) t
b) a
c) v
d) i
Show answer
a) t. The t after the a stands alone.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
When the bus broke down on the way to the science fair, Zoya showed real initiatve by phoning the hosts and arranging for a van to collect us.
a) phoning
b) science
c) initiatve
d) arranging
Show answer
c) initiatve. A vowel has gone missing near the end of the word.
Mingle-Mangle
The sentence contains a jumbled word. Choose the word it hides:
The book exchange in our corridor came about through the tiavineiti of one class monitor.
a) imitation
b) indicative
c) initiative
d) initiation
Show answer
c) initiative. Four i's, one v and no o, m, c or d: only one option can be built from that.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word initiative as used in the sentence:
The city's new initiative to clean the lake has won praise from the people who live nearby.
a) scheme
b) complaint
c) rumour
d) obstacle
Show answer
a) scheme. Here the word means a planned effort, which is what a scheme is.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which pupil is showing initiative?
a) Asha, who starts a plant club without being asked
b) Leela, who copies exactly what her friends do
c) Imran, who waits to be told what to do next
d) Dev, who hands in work only when reminded
Show answer
a) Asha, who starts a plant club without being asked
2. A town launches an initiative on clean water. What has it most likely done?
a) published a history book about old wells
b) begun a set of steps to improve the supply
c) chosen a new date for the town's fair
d) ended all of its spending on water pipes
Show answer
b) begun a set of steps to improve the supply
