- pronunciation:
- ih
nawg
y
reIt
- features:
- Word History
| part of speech: |
verb |
| inflections: |
inaugurates, inaugurating, inaugurated |
| definition 1: |
to put in office with an official ceremony.
They inaugurated the new president.- similar words:
- crown
|
| definition 2: |
to start or cause to start formally.
The Pathfinder's landing on Mars inaugurated a new era of space exploration.- synonyms:
- establish, initiate, institute, introduce, launch
- similar words:
- commence, start, undertake
|
| related words: |
establish, initiate, institute |
| derivations: |
inauguration (n.), inaugurator (n.) |
Inaugurate comes from
inaugurare, a Latin word that means "to act as a fortuneteller." In ancient Rome, the fortuneteller looked for omens of the future in the flights of birds. Based on what he saw, he would decide whether or not it was a favorable time for an important ceremony, such as the crowning of a king.