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inaugurate

in·au·gu·rate

inaugurate

 
 
pronunciation:
ih nawg y reIt
features:
Word Combinations (verb), 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
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
derivations: inauguration (n.), inaugurator (n.)
Word History
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.