Initiative Meaning
/ɪˈnɪʃ.ə.tɪv/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjServing to initiate.
adjIn which voter initiatives can be brought to the ballot.
Sentence Examples
Companies welcome workers who take initiative.
Don't be shy about talking to the teacher; if you don't understand, use some initiative!
The initiative was generally considered a success.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She showed great ____ by starting the community project all on her own.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The young manager showed great ____ by proposing a new way to speed up the shipping process.
Word Origin & History
From French initiative, from Medieval Latin *initiativus (“serving to initiate”), from Late Latin initiare (“to begin, to initiate”), from Latin initium (“beginning”), from ineo (“enter, begin”). By surface analysis, initiate + -ive.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"As for Apollos he was skillfull in the Scriptures, and mightily confuted the Iewes by them, he had more then this initiative wisedome, and knew better the difference betweene the baptisme of Christ, and of Iohn, then it seemeth this Iesuite doth."
— 1632, Roger Puttock, A Rejoynder unto William Malone’s Reply to the First Article, Dublin: The Company of Stationers, page 78:
"suspected! that indefinite word, which was tortured into every meaning of injustice and oppression, and became what the French call the mot de ralliement, the initiative term of captivity and death"
— 1795, Helen Maria Williams, Letters Containing a Sketch of the Politics of France, London: G.G. and J. Robinson, Volume 1, Letter 1, p. 5:
"The success of that initiative dish: that first experiment of hers in cookery: was so entire, so unalloyed and perfect, that John Westlock and Tom agreed she must have been studying the art in secret for a long time past;"
— 1844, Charles Dickens, chapter 39, in Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman and Hall, page 461:
"Not only are all religions welcome at the Voice Community Kitchen, but experts also say such initiatives could be key to improving ethnoreligious engagement and lead to better conflict mediation in the future."
— 2023 January 6, Munza Mushtaq, “In Sri Lanka, Pastor Moses shows the power of a free lunch”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She showed great ____ by starting the community project all on her own.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The young manager showed great ____ by proposing a new way to speed up the shipping process.