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Definition
the ability and tendency to determine what should be done and to start doing it without instructionor:
to start something
The exact meaning of starting something depends upon the context. For example:
- "She did it on her own initiative." — started it without anyone telling her to
- "She seized the initiative." — started actions that force others to react to her rather than her having to react to them
- "the peace initiative" — a plan or the start of actions to bring about something
- "a ballot initiative" — a proposed law that is started by citizen petition rather than by the legislature (applicable in many jurisdictions such as California)
- She is smart, dedicated and has initiative. I expect to see her promoted soon.
initiative = the ability and tendency to determine what should be done and to start doing it without instruction
- I admire her initiative.
- He did it on his own initiative. His boss didn't even know about it.
- Once the advance was stalled, we lost the initiative.
- The CEO introduced a new initiative to improve customer satisfaction.
- The ballot initiative would limit real growth in state expenditures to growth in population.
- For the second week in a row, I leave out Hilly's bathroom initiative.Kathryn Stockett -- The Help
- Coach'll probably congratulate you on your initiative!Arthur Miller -- Death of a Salesman
- Soupy was excellent when set a task, but had no initiative and was unused to planning.Larry McMurtry -- Lonesome Dove
- I knew that I must find the train to Uelzen, but months of being told what to do had left me robbed of initiative.Corrie ten Boom -- The Hiding Place
- We the Coalition hereby grant the PCC express permission to fully implement their PC Initiative #1 as presented in full and attached below.James Dashner -- The Kill Order
- But the initiative had passed to the Israelis, and the tension was gone from it by now.Chaim Potok -- The Chosen
- He must seize the initiative, or at least try to seize it; he must keep Grace from reading his mind.Margaret Atwood -- Alias Grace
- She's taken the initiative for the evening, making reservations at a place in midtown, which Donald and Astrid have recommended.Jhumpa Lahiri -- The Namesake
- There were several attempts to snatch at them, but it was the mayor's wife who took the initiative.Markus Zusak -- The Book Thief
- Women, if one may put it this way, are reactive creatures, with little original initiative, careless to the point of being passive.Thomas Mann -- The Magic Mountain
- You see my initiative doesn't go beyond putting myself at your disposal."Edith Wharton -- The House of Mirth
- You think he wants me to take the initiative?Ken Kesey -- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- I was aware of the demand for action, and, my old helplessness strong upon me, I was waiting for him to take the initiative.Jack London -- Sea Wolf
- It was Pauline, who had made the trip from Manchester to Boston on her own initiative.James Bradley -- Flags of Our Fathers
initiative = started a task without instruction
initiative = proposal or thing started
initiative = determining what should be done and doing it without instruction
Dictionary / pronunciation — Google®Dictionary list — Onelook.com®Wikipedia article - Citizen InitiativeWikipedia article - Initiative
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