What does initiated mean?
“Initiated” is chiefly the past-tense and past-participle form of “initiate,” meaning to cause something to begin. It is used with processes, discussions, investigations, contacts, and other actions: negotiations were initiated, or the agency initiated an inquiry. In adjectival use, “initiated” can describe something that has already been set in motion, but it more commonly describes a person who has been formally admitted to a group, organization, religious community, or tradition. This sense often appears in expressions such as “newly initiated members” and “initiated into the order.” The word is formal but broadly understood in British and American English. Its underlying idea is initiation: the deliberate beginning of an activity or the introduction of a person into a new role or community.
To cause a process, activity, discussion, or relationship to begin.
"The government initiated an independent review of the system."
Common in formal and professional contexts, particularly with “contact,” “talks,” “proceedings,” “an investigation,” and “a process.”
Having been admitted to a group, organization, tradition, or status through an introductory or ceremonial process; having begun or been set in motion.
"The initiated members shared the responsibilities of the full members."
The formal sense of admission to a group is especially common in ceremonial, religious, fraternal, and institutional contexts.
From the Latin for “begin,” “initiated” still marks the moment when a process—or a newcomer—enters a new phase.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does initiated come from?
The word derives from Latin initiāre, meaning “to begin” or “to initiate,” which was formed from initium, “beginning,” itself associated with the prefix in- and the verb ire, “to go.” English borrowed “initiate” in the 16th century, with the past form and participle “initiated” following the same development. The Latin root also underlies words such as “initial,” “initiation,” and “initiative.”
Related word forms
How initiated is actually used
In its verbal sense, “initiated” normally describes the start of a process or action and is often followed by a noun such as “contact,” “talks,” “proceedings,” or “an investigation.” In the adjectival sense, it can describe a person admitted to an organization or tradition, usually in a formal or ceremonial context. The phrasing “initiated into” is common: “initiated into the society.”
Easily confused with initiated
“Initiated” is the past-tense and past-participle form of the verb or an adjective describing someone who has been admitted to a group, whereas “initiate” is the base verb or an adjective meaning qualified to begin something.