Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

initiator

/ˌɪnɪʃˈieɪtɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.72 in modern English

Syllables: ini-tia-tor
IPA: /ˌɪnɪʃˈieɪtɚ/

9

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

5

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One who initiates.

noun

A substance that initiates a chain reaction or polymerization.

noun

A component of a nuclear weapon that produces a burst of neutrons to start the chain reaction.

noun

A task (in a mainframe computer) that initiates multiple jobs.

noun

A material whose presence in the body eventually leads to cancer.

Example Sentences

"‘This, er, initiator of polonium and lithium, would it be used in an anti-personnel bomb?’ he asked. ‘Oh yes, you could say so, boyo,’ replied the Welshman. ‘An initiator, you see, is what sets off a nuke.’"

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin initiātor. By surface analysis, initiate + or.

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: initiātor

Inflected Forms

initiators (plural)

Derived Forms

coinitiator macroinitiator photoinitiator preinitiator reinitiator thermoinitiator

Phrases

pyrotechnic initiator

Synonyms

instigator

Questions

How do you pronounce initiator?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌɪnɪʃˈieɪtɚ/.
What does initiator mean?: One who initiates.
Where does initiator come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce initiator

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “initiator”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌɪnɪʃˈieɪtɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “initiator”.
Repeat and practice — Say “initiator” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.