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initiative English

Meaning initiative meaning

What does initiative mean?
Definitions in simple English

initiative

If you have or take the initiative, you are in control and can decide what to do next. It's good to see someone take the initiative and start doing something about this problem. It appears that the army was acting on its own initiative and not on orders from the president. If you have initiative, you do things without needing to be told to do them. We're looking to hire somebody with initiative because I won't be able to supervise them much. An initiative is an effort to start doing something to solve a problem. The town has no new initiatives to deal with garbage.

initiative

(= enterprise) readiness to embark on bold new ventures (= first step) the first of a series of actions (= inaugural, initiatory, first, maiden) 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

Synonyms initiative synonyms

What other words have the same or similar meaning as initiative?

Topics initiative topics

What do people use initiative to talk about?

Examples initiative examples

How do I use initiative in a sentence?

Simple sentences

Don't be shy about talking to the teacher; if you don't understand, use some initiative!
This initiative follows the DCA phone conference on Dec 17 attended by 40 people from 27 firms.
He took the initiative in carrying out the plan.
I consider this to be a good initiative.
Tom's boss criticised him for not having any initiative.
Tom's boss criticized him for not having any initiative.
Mary thought about what it would be like to dance with Tom. Elke, however, simply stood up and took the initiative.
The initiative is punishable.
It is a nice initiative.
He opposes this initiative.

Movie subtitles

Along with Portugal, Spain had been first off the mark, seizing the initiative in the New World.
Initiative, Breen.
You wanted initiative.
Why, we did not take the initiative!
We did not take the initiative!
You took the initiative!
Mr. Charles Foster Kane, in every essence of his social beliefs and by the dangerous manner he has persistently attacked American traditions of private property initiative and opportunity for advancement is, in fact, nothing more or less than a communist.
Oh, of course, she can scheme and contrive to make him declare himself. but the initiative is really with him.
Our country must stand today where it has always stood the citadel of individual initiative the land of unlimited opportunity for all.
Furthermore, of having undertaken a private enterprise, and of having used initiative.
And I'm not trying to rob you of your precious male initiative.
I know how you enjoy acting on your own initiative.
He has no imagination, no initiative, sir.
It's true that war is too serious to be left to soldiers. You have nevertheless shown in your operation, on your initiative and without our authority, talents worthy of generals.
You have to denigrate his initiative!
Smithy, do I always have to take the initiative?
But our postal employee showed some initiative.
On your own initiative.
You have nevertheless shown in your operation, on your initiative and without our authority, talents worthy of generals.
It's one thing to show initiative, but you don't want people to think of you as self-aggrandizing.
Use a machine to control a man's brain, you destroy his initiative.
Why, we did not take the initiative! - You did.
We did not take the initiative! - You took the initiative!
The psychic injuries strike at his pride, his initiative, and we shall have to save them if we're to save Drake.
You've got energy, ideas, initiative.
You see, he's gained the initiative.
And I certainly don't approve of your personal initiative in this matter!
But we are not here to pass judgment on Mr. Ferguson's lack of initiative.
Don Ciccio Matara, with his circle of mysterious friends, might be able to help me, but the initiative clearly had to come from him.
Sophie isn't here, I'm taking the initiative in calling you.

News and current affairs

Crown Prince Abdullah's initiative is meant to be made official during a speech at the Arab League summit in Beirut of 27-28 March.
Faced with a new EU initiative, our traditional response has often been to oppose it, vote against it, lose the vote, then sulkily to adopt it while blaming everyone else.
The Turkish government even attempted a regional initiative for a peaceful solution to the crisis, an effort no current EU member could have contemplated.
Implementing a Marshall Plan-type initiative by mobilizing EU budget resources and additional lending by the European Investment Bank to finance investments in weaker countries could be an alternative, but it lacks political support.
Here the Finns, who chair the EU right now, have taken an initiative to implement a pragmatic solution that takes into consideration both sides in the conflict.
The Finnish initiative should be given strong support from all European leaders.
We remain narrowly focussed on whether an initiative will be immediately good or bad for us.
President Nicolas Sarkozy should be applauded for supporting a new initiative promoting strict transparency standards for petroleum, gas, and mining companies listed on European stock exchanges.
Markets and personal initiative are pervasive.
Her poor timing made the initiative appear heartless, as thousands of civilians were being uprooted, killed, or maimed by Israel's efficient but ruthless artillery and air force.
This so embarrassed the three Arab NME partners that each raced to distance itself from the US-sponsored initiative.
To empower global society to act, Ban has launched a bold new global initiative, for which I am grateful to volunteer.
Therefore they signaled the start of a new program, immediately dubbed the Cologne Initiative, to reduce further the debt burden of the so-called Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs).
Another reason for cynicism is that the G-7 didn't move mainly on their own initiative, but rather in response to a growing cry of international civil society for action on behalf of the world's poorest.
My colleagues and I, serving on an advisory committee for the Spanish initiative, have recommended that donors pool their funds into a single international account, which we call the Financial Coordination Mechanism (FCM).
A new initiative called the Green Corps includes 300 forest rangers charged with stopping illegal logging, and the ministry hopes to boost their numbers within a year.
But the initiative is unlikely to have much effect.
If the international community is going to invest in a bold new public-relations initiative, it might as well focus on areas where the potential payoffs are the greatest.
We should move beyond cynicism, however, in embracing the new Cologne Initiative, especially to push the G-7 countries to do all that needs to be done to make the Initiative successful.
The details of the Initiative announced in Cologne were disappointing, but these details can still be changed under international public pressure.
At least the Initiative pointed in the right direction.
A successful Cologne Initiative would build on the following concepts.

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