Present participle of initiate; beginning or starting something, or introducing someone to a new activity or organization.
From Latin initiatus, past participle of initiare 'to begin, introduce,' from initium 'beginning,' from inire 'to go in.' The ceremonial sense of introducing someone to secret rites emerged in the 17th century.
The word connects the mundane act of starting something with ancient mystery religions where initiates underwent secret ceremonies to gain sacred knowledge. Modern corporate 'onboarding' and fraternity 'rushing' are distant echoes of these primordial initiation rites that marked the transition from outsider to insider.
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