take the initiative

verb

to take action first or on one's own; to make the first move

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Meanings

verbtake the initiative (third-person singular simple present takes the initiative, present participle taking the initiative, simple past took the initiative, past participle taken the initiative)

present singular third person takes the initiative · participle present taking the initiative · past took the initiative · participle past taken the initiative · alternative seize the initiative

  1. idiomaticto take action first or on one's own; to make the first move

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
make the first move
Cite this entry
APA

take the initiative. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20initiative

MLA

“take the initiative.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20initiative. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take the initiative,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20initiative.

Source: take the initiative on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.