initiative

1. archaicnot comparableServing to initiate.

   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

   2 more examples

   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

   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

   Synonyms: inceptive, initiatory, introductory, preliminary

2. USnot comparableIn which voter initiatives can be brought to the ballot.

   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.

   a. 2008, John G. Matsusaka, "Direct Democracy and the Executive Branch", in, 2008, Shaun Bowler and Amihai Glazer, editors, Direct Democracy's Impact on American Political Institutions, Palgrave Macmillan, page 122 http://books.google.com/books?id=J6swcucKdNIC&pg=PA122&dq=initiative

   Antonyms: noninitiative

plural initiatives

1. countableuncountableA beginning; a first move.

   1 more example

   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.

   2023 January 6, Munza Mushtaq, “In Sri Lanka, Pastor Moses shows the power of a free lunch”, in The Christian Science Monitor, archived from the original on 26 Jun 2026

2. countableuncountableA new development; a fresh approach to something; a new way of dealing with a problem.
3. countableuncountableThe ability to act first or on one's own.

   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.

   1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 391

4. countableuncountablegovernmentAn issue to be voted on, brought to the ballot by a sufficient number of signatures from among the voting public.