inaugurate
UK /ɪˈnɔːɡjʊ.ɹeɪt/ · US /ɪˈnɔ.ɡjə.ɹet/ verb, adjective
Forms inaugurates inaugurating inaugurated inauguratest inauguratedst inaugurateth
- verb To induct (someone) into a dignity or office with a formal ceremony.
- verb To dedicate (a building, monument, etc.) for public use by a formal ceremony.
- verb To initiate or usher in (something, as a (significant) course of action, development, organization, or period of time) with a formal ceremony or in a ceremonious manner; also (loosely), to begin or commence (something); to start.
- verb (archaic, rare) To cause (something) to be auspicious or good-omened; also, to declare or make (something) holy; to consecrate, to sanctify.
- adjective (obsolete) Inducted into a dignity or office with a formal ceremony or in a ceremonious manner; inaugurated.
Synonyms
inaugur handsel auspicate avow behallow bless canonize consecrate dedicate hallow martyr sacralize sacrate saint sanctify kick off usher in introduce
Antonyms
corrupt defile desecrate profanate profane profanize pollute sully tarnish violate
Etymology
* borrowed from French inaugurer (“to inaugurate”), from Latin inaugurō (“to take omens from the flight of birds, to divine, practise augury; to approve, consecrate, or inaugurate on the basis of omens; to install”) with common assimilation of French -er with English -ate (verb-forming suffix)
* or a Learned borrowing from Latin inaugurātus, perfect passive participle of inaugurō, see etymology at -ate;
Further from in- (“against; into; on, upon; to, towards”) + augurō (“to act as an augur, interpret omens, augur; to foretell, predict; to conjecture, guess”), from augur (“soothsayer, augur”) + -ō (first conjugation verb-forming suffix) (further etymology uncertain; see the entry).
Borrowed from Latin inaugurātus (“having been taken as an omen, divined; having been approved, consecrated, or inaugurated on the basis of omens; installed, having been installed”) (the perfect passive participle of inaugurō (verb): see etymology 1). See -ate (adjective-forming suffix).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Invested with office; inaugurated. Drayton.
- verb To introduce or induct into an office with suitable ceremonies or solemnities; to invest with power or authority in a formal manner; to install; as, to inaugurate a president; to inaugurate a king. Milton.
- verb To cause to begin, esp. with formality or solemn ceremony; hence, to set in motion, action, or progress; to initiate; --used especially of something of dignity or worth or public concern; as, to inaugurate a new era of things, new methods, etc. As if kings did closes remarkable days to inaugurate their favors.
Etymology [L. inauguratus, p. p. of inaugurare to take omens from the flight of birds (before entering upon any important undertaking); hence, to consecrate, inaugurate, or install, with such divination; pref. in- in + augurare, augurari, to augur. See Augur.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “inaugurate”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details