initiative
/ɪˈnɪʃətɪv/ nounDefinition
ACTION [C] › a plan or activity that is done to solve a problem or improve a situation: a new government initiative to reduce crime
ABILITY [U] › the ability to make decisions and do things without needing to be told what to do: We need someone who can work on their own initiative (= without anyone telling them what to do).
take the initiative › to be the first person to do something that solves a problem or improves a situation: Jackson had taken the initiative and prepared a report.
(Definition of initiative noun from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
Our dictionaries
Browse the Thesaurus
Browse the Dictionary
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
