What does inaugurator mean?
An inaugurator is a person who ceremonially begins or opens something, especially a public event, office, institution, or new era. The word is associated with formal occasions such as inaugurations, where an authorised figure gives the occasion its official start. It can also refer more broadly to someone who initiates a significant undertaking, though this use is less common. Inaugurator is chiefly used in official reports, historical accounts, and formal writing rather than everyday conversation. Its close relatives include the verb inaugurate, meaning to begin formally or make something public, and the noun inauguration, which denotes the ceremony or act itself. The word is useful when the emphasis is on a deliberate, public, or ceremonial beginning rather than merely starting an activity.
nounA person who inaugurates something, especially someone who formally opens or begins a public event, office, or new era.
- A person who formally begins or opens a ceremony, institution, office, or new period.
"The president was the principal inaugurator of the new civic centre."
"The governor served as the inaugurator of the new university."
"She was the inaugurator of a movement that transformed the organisation."
The plural is used when referring to more than one person who formally begins or opens something.
"The inaugurators of the festival were introduced on stage."
The word inaugurator belongs to the language of ceremony: it names the person who helps mark a public beginning.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inaugurator come from?
The word inaugurator is derived from the Latin inaugurare, meaning to begin formally or to inaugurate. The English verb inaugurate entered usage in the early 17th century, and the agent noun inaugurator developed later. Its meaning originally centred on ceremonial installation or the formal beginning of an office or public undertaking. The Latin verb itself is related to in- and augere, meaning to increase, reflecting the idea of beginning something with the intention of enlarging or establishing it.
Related word forms
How inaugurator is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon word, typically used in ceremonial, institutional, or historical contexts.
Easily confused with inaugurator
An inaugurator formally opens or begins a public event or undertaking, while an initiator more generally starts a process or activity.