# initiative

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɪˈnɪʃ.ə.tɪv/ · frequency rank #3,887

## Definitions
1. Serving to initiate.
2. In which voter initiatives can be brought to the ballot.

## Etymology
From French initiative, from Medieval Latin *initiativus (“serving to initiate”), from Late Latin initiare (“to begin, to initiate”), from Latin initium (“beginning”), from ineo (“enter, begin”). By surface analysis, initiate + -ive.

## Easily confused with
- **initiate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/initiate-vs-initiative)
- **initiation** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/initiation-vs-initiative)

## Common misspellings (13)
`iintiative`, `iniitative`, `initaitive`, `initiaitve`, `initiatiev`, `initiativve`, `initiattive`, `initiatvie`, `inititaive`, `inittiative`, `innitiative`, `intiiative`, `niitiative`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/initiative