inaugurate

Inaugurate is a verb that means to begin or introduce something, especially through a formal or ceremonial act. It is used to mark the opening of a new institution, policy, period, or structure, and can also describe the installation of a person in office. The sense emphasizes initiation and formal ceremony rather than mere commencement.

The word derives from Latin roots associated with a ritual or sacred beginning, historically tied to inauguratio in Roman practice when omens were interpreted or rites performed to mark the start of a term or project. In modern English, inaugurate does not imply religious content, but it retains a sense of official ceremony, solemnity, and significance.

Usage and contexts vary. Commonly, a head of state or government is inaugurated at the start of a term, often accompanied by oaths, speeches, and other formalities. A building, infrastructure project, or organization can be inaugurated to signify its official opening. In political discourse, inaugurate may imply not just starting but legitimating or establishing a new regime, policy, or era. The noun forms are inauguration and inaugural, with inauguration referring to the ceremony or act, and inaugural describing the first in a series, such as the inaugural edition of a journal.

Related terms include begin, commence, launch, and open, which differ in connotation or formality. Inaugurate carries a particular emphasis on ceremonial initiation and formal installation, as well as the sense of ushering in a new phase.