To initiate something is to start it or set it in motion. As a noun, an initiate is a person who has just been accepted into a group or special knowledge.
It comes from Latin “initiare,” meaning “to begin” or “to admit into the mysteries,” from “initium” (beginning). The word carried both the sense of starting something and of entering a special group.
To initiate a project is just to begin it, but to initiate a person is to bring them into a circle with new knowledge or status. Secret societies and clubs love this word because it hints at hidden doors opening. It shows how “beginnings” can be both practical and deeply symbolic.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.