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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Initiative \In*i"ti*a*tive\, adjective [Cf. F. initiatif.] Serving to initiate; inceptive; initiatory; introductory; preliminary.
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Initiative \In*i"ti*a*tive\, noun [Cf. F. initiative.]
1. An introductory step or movement; an act which originates or begins.
The undeveloped initiatives of good things to come. --I. Taylor.
2. The right or power to introduce a new measure or course of action, as in legislation; as, the initiative in respect to revenue bills is in the House of Representatives.
3. (Political Science) The right or procedure by which legislation may be introduced or enacted directly by the people, as in the Swiss Confederation and in many of the States of the United States; -- chiefly used with the. The procedure of the initiative is essentially as follows: Upon the filing of a petition signed by a required number or percentage of qualified voters the desired measure must be submitted to a popular vote, and upon receiving the required majority (commonly a majority of those voting on the measure submitted) it becomes a law. In some States of the United States the initiative is only local; in others it is state-wide and includes the making of constitutional amendments. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
4. a character trait manifested in a readiness and ability to initiate action; an enterprising spirit; a go-getting attitude; energy; drive; get-up-and-go. [PJC]
5. in interactive activities, such as conversation or games, the right or opportunity to set the course of action; as, to have the initiative. [PJC]
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
initiative
adjective: serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue"; "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an initiatory step toward a treaty"; "his first (or maiden) speech in Congress"; "the liner's maiden voyage" [syn: {inaugural}, {initiatory}, {first}, {maiden}]
noun
1: readiness to embark on bold new ventures [syn: {enterprise}, {enterprisingness}, {go-ahead}]
2: the first of a series of actions; "he memorized all the important chess openings" [syn: {first step}, {opening move}, {opening}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
133 Moby Thesaurus words for "initiative": abecedarian, aboriginal, adventuresomeness, adventurousness, aggression, aggressiveness, alpha, ambition, ambitiousness, antenatal, autochthonous, bang, baptismal, beginning, breaking-in, budding, constitutional referendum, creative, dash, direct initiative, drive, dynamism, elan, elemental, elementary, embryonic, energy, enterprise, enterprisingness, facultative referendum, fetal, fire, first, first blush, first glance, first impression, first inning, first lap, first move, first round, first sight, first stage, first step, force, forcefulness, formative, foundational, fundamental, gambit, gestatory, get-up-and-get, get-up-and-go, getup, ginger, go, go-ahead, go-getting, go-to-itiveness, gumption, hustle, in embryo, in its infancy, in the bud, inaugural, inceptive, inchoate, inchoative, incipient, incunabular, indirect initiative, infant, infantile, initial, initiatory, introductive, introductory, inventive, kick, le premier pas, lead, leadership, mandate, mandatory referendum, nascent, natal, opening move, original, parturient, pep, pepper, piss and vinegar, pizzazz, plebiscite, plebiscitum, poop, postnatal, pregnant, prenatal, primal, primary, prime, primeval, primitive, primitiveness, primitivity, primogenial, procreative, punch, push, pushfulness, pushiness, pushingness, recall, referendum, resourcefulness, rudimental, rudimentary, snap, spirit, spunk, starch, statutory referendum, thrust, up-and-comingness, ur, venturesomeness, venturousness, verve, vigor, vim, warming-up, zing, zip
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