initierend

Initierend is a German adjective and present participle derived from the verb initiieren (to initiate). It describes something that initiates, begins, or triggers a process, event, or action. In formal and technical contexts, it is used to characterize measures, events, or factors that start a sequence. Common collocations include initierende Maßnahme, initierendes Ereignis, or initierender Schritt.

Etymology and usage notes

The term comes from the verb initiieren, itself borrowed into German from a common European root related to initiation. In German usage, initierend is most often found in technical, administrative, or scientific language rather than everyday speech. It functions as an attributive or predicative descriptor, similar to how “initiating” is used in English.

Contexts and examples

In law and administration, one might speak of initierende Beschlüsse or initierende Schritte in a procedure. In science and engineering, phrases such as initierende Reaktion or initierendes Ereignis denote actions that start a reaction or chain of events. In project management or IT, initierende Maßnahmen can refer to activities that trigger subsequent tasks or workflows.

Relationship to related terms

The noun form Initiierung denotes the act of initiating, while Initiator refers to a person or thing that starts something. The term Initialisierung is common in computing and means initial setup or initialization, a different semantic field from the prosecutive or triggering sense captured by initierend.

Notes

Because German often prefers different formations for adjectives in various contexts, you may encounter slight variation in endings (initierendes Ereignis, initierende Maßnahme). The core meaning remains: describing something that starts or triggers an ensuing process.