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in·au·gu·rate
 inaugurate
- pronunciation:
- ih
nawg
y
reIt
- features:
- Word History
| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
inaugurated, inaugurates, inaugurating |
| definition 1: |
to install in office with a formal ceremony.
They inaugurated the new president.- synonyms:
- induct, install, instate
- similar words:
- crown, enthrone, frock
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| definition 2: |
to start or initiate formally; introduce.
The new telephone service was inaugurated here last month.- synonyms:
- begin, establish, initiate, institute, introduce, launch
- similar words:
- commence, kick off, start, undertake
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| definition 3: |
to celebrate the opening of (a new building, exhibit, or the like) with a formal ceremony.
- similar words:
- dedicate, open
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| related words: |
christen, establish, initiate, institute, pioneer, usher |
| 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.
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