initiative
/ɪˈnɪʃ.ə.tɪv/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.36 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
10
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
An issue to be voted on, brought to the ballot by a sufficient number of signatures from among the voting public.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "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"
- "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;"
- "The second row shows that initiative states fill more constitutional offices by election than noninitiative states, and the difference is statistically significant after controlling for region and population."
- "Pastor Moses says the initiative was born of pragmatism, compassion toward all Sri Lankans, and a desire to model the same generosity he experienced as a young person. […] 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."
- "The theoretical source, or rather justification, of that machine was Lenin's conviction that the party, by virtue of its scientific knowledge of society, is the one legitimate source of political initiative."
Etymology
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.
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: initiative, *initiativus, initio, initium
Usage
- Archaic
- American usage
- Countable
- Uncountable