inaugurate

[in-aw-gyuh-reyt, -guh-]

verb (used with object)

inaugurated, inaugurating 

1. to make a formal beginning of; initiate; commence; begin.

   The end of World War II inaugurated the era of nuclear power.

2. to induct into office with formal ceremonies; install.

3. to introduce into public use by some formal ceremony.

   Airmail service between Washington, D.C., and New York City was inaugurated in 1918.

inaugurate

/ ɪnˈɔːɡjʊˌreɪt, -trɪ, ɪnˈɔːɡjʊrətərɪ /

verb

1. to commence officially or formally; initiate

2. to place in office formally and ceremonially; induct

3. to open ceremonially; dedicate formally

   to inaugurate a factory

Other Word Forms

• inaugurator noun
• preinaugurate verb (used with object)
• reinaugurate verb (used with object)
• uninaugurated adjective
• well-inaugurated adjective
• inauguratory adjective
• inauguration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inaugurate¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin inaugurātus, past participle of inaugurāre “to consecrate by augury (a person chosen for priesthood or other office),” literally, “to take auguries”); in- ², augur ¹, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of inaugurate¹

C17: from Latin inaugurāre, literally: to take omens, practise augury, hence to install in office after taking auguries; see _in- ², _augur

Example Sentences

Barack Obama was inaugurated as president of the United States.

From Los Angeles Times

International Booker Prize winning-author Banu Mushtaq has found herself in the midst of a controversy after she was invited to inaugurate a prominent festival in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

From BBC

By the time President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated in March 1933, the nation was in dire straits.

From Salon

Kristallnacht happened two years later, inaugurating the Nazi regime’s organized persecution of Jewish people, which culminated in the Holocaust.

From Salon

"I think it will take several more years before the next connection is ready to be inaugurated. But it will come, and it will be needed," says Mr Wessman.

From BBC

Related Words

• commence 
• dedicate 
• induct 
• initiate 
• introduce 
• launch 
• open 
• set up 

When To Use

What does inaugurate mean?

Inaugurate most generally means to formally or officially take action to begin something. Close synonyms are the verbs initiate and commence.More specifically, inaugurate means to officially induct someone into a position with a formal ceremony. A close synonym of this sense of the word is install.The noun inauguration refers to the process of inaugurating or a ceremony in which a person or thing is inaugurated. Things involving or related to inauguration can be described with the adjective inaugural.U.S. presidents are inaugurated—officially inducted into office and sworn in—on Inauguration Day, on which they usually give their inaugural address (speech).Inaugurate can also mean to introduce something into use with a formal ceremony. A new factory or public building might be inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony or a dedication ceremony, for example.In every sense of the word, inaugurate implies at least some formality.Its general sense—meaning to initiate or commence—is typically used in the context of events considered important, such as historical eras, as in The rise of the empire inaugurated a period of renewed warfare. Example: In the U.S., presidents are elected in November, but their terms don’t officially begin until they are inaugurated in January.