initiation

[ ih-nish-ee-ey-shuhn ]

noun

1. formal admission or acceptance into an organization or club, adult status in one's community or society, etc.
2. the ceremonies or rites of admission. Compare rite of passage.
3. the act of initiating.
4. the fact of being initiated.

initiation

/ ɪˌnɪʃɪˈeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of initiating or the condition of being initiated
2. the often secret ceremony initiating new members into an organization

Other Words From

• prein·iti·ation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of initiation¹

First recorded in 1575–85, initiation is from the Latin word initiātiōn- (stem of initiātiō ). See initiate, -ion

Example Sentences

"Each gene was like a single word. However, there was a piece of critical information lacking: transcription initiation sites for individual genes."

From Science Daily

This process could be linked to the initiation of programmed keratinocyte death, a natural process in the epidermis.

From Science Daily

Quayle, who was 41 at the time, had gone through a rough initiation after his surprise selection to serve as George H.W.

From Los Angeles Times

On Thursday, a public interest petition was filed in the Kerala High Court, seeking initiation of criminal proceedings against those accused in the report.

From BBC

The initiation is steeped in secrecy - it is a cultural taboo to talk about it and women are not allowed to go near a circumcision site.

From BBC

Related Words

• baptism
• commencement
• inauguration
• inception
• induction