in·au·gu·ral
i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl 
-g(ə-)rəl
1
: of or relating to an inauguration
an inaugural ball
2
: marking a beginning : first in a projected series
an aircraft's inaugural flight
1
: an inaugural address
2
Examples of inaugural in a Sentence
Adjective
They attended the inaugural ball.
the inaugural event in the city's week long festival honoring the sailing ships
Noun
attended the inaugurals of the city's last three mayors
Recent Examples on the Web
Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
The inaugural Fashion Vanguard Award nominees include A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Cardi B, Colman Domingo, Doechii, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, and Zendaya.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 May 2026
Zach Wichter, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Ike gave his farewell address three days before John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inaugural
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Adjective
An inaugural line of blue and orange San Jose merchandise was available on the PWHL website Tuesday.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
The inaugural Fashion Vanguard Award nominees include A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Beyoncé, Cardi B, Colman Domingo, Doechii, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, and Zendaya.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 19 May 2026
Noun
Van Dijk and her fellow travelers even brought their own swag to give out and said inaugurals feel like a bonding experience for everyone on the flight.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 10 May 2026
Ike gave his farewell address three days before John F. Kennedy’s famous inaugural.
—David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inaugural
Cite this Entry
“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inaugural. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
inaugural
1 of 2 adjective
in·au·gu·ral
in-ˈȯ-gyə-rəl
-g(ə-)rəl
1
: of or relating to an inauguration
the inaugural address
an inaugural ball
2
: marking a beginning
the inaugural run of a new high-speed train
inaugural
2 of 2 noun1
: an inaugural address
2
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