Definition of "initiate"

initiate

/ɪˈnɪʃ.i.eɪt/

noun
plural initiates
1. A new member of an organization.
2. One who has been through a ceremony of initiation.
3. One who is oriented in and familiar with a topic or subject; especially, one who is an expert in it.
verb
third-person singular simple present initiates, present participle initiating, simple past and past participle initiated
1. (transitive) To begin; to start.
  Quotations
  How are changes of this sort to be initiated?
  1859-1860, Isaac Taylor, Ultimate Civilisation
2. (transitive) To instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce.
  Quotations
  Divine Providence would only initiate and enter mankind into the useful knowledge of her, leaving the rest to employ our industry.
  1653-1655, Henry More, An Antidote against Atheism
  to initiate his pupil in any part of learning
  1693, [John Locke], “§94”, in Some Thoughts Concerning Education, London: […] A[wnsham] and J[ohn] Churchill, […]
3. (transitive) To confer membership on; especially, to admit to a secret order with mysterious rites or ceremonies.
  Quotations
  The Athenians believed that he who was initiated and instructed in the mysteries would obtain celestial honour after death.
  1738–1741, William Warburton, The Divine Legation of Moses […], volumes (please specify |volume=I, II.1, or II.2), London: […] Fletcher Gyles, […]
  He was initiated into half a dozen clubs before he was one and twenty.
  1714 August 15 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “WEDNESDAY, August 4, 1714”, in The Spectator, number 576; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume VI, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853
4. (intransitive) To do the first act; to perform the first rite; to take the initiative.
  Quotations
  The king himself initiates to the power; Scatters with quivering hand the sacred flour, And the stream sprinkles.
  1725–1726, Homer, “Book 3”, in [William Broome, Elijah Fenton, and Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], London: […] Bernard Lintot
adjective
comparative more initiate, superlative most initiate
1. (obsolete) Unpractised; untried; new.
  Quotations
  the initiate fear that wants hard use
  c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene iv]
2. (obsolete) Begun; commenced; introduced to, or instructed in, the rudiments; newly admitted.
  Quotations
  To rise in science as in bliss, / Initiate in the secrets of the skies.
  1744, [Edward Young], “Night the Sixth. The Infidel Reclaim’d. In Two Parts. Containing, the Nature, Proof, and Importance of Immortality. Part the First. […]”, in The Complaint: Or, Night-Thoughts on Life, Death, and Immortality, London: […] R[obert] Dodsley […], page 6

Definition of "initiate"

initiate

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verb

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