SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
initiative
noun
The willingness and ability to begin useful action without waiting to be directed.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Readiness to begin action
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topInitiative means starting useful action without waiting for direction; drive is the sustained energy behind it.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See initiative in use
She showed initiative by drafting an agenda before the group met.
While classmates waited for instructions about a fictional campus puzzle archive, Farah showed initiative by listing the unsorted boxes and proposing a first inspection.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license