as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the inaugural event in the city's week long festival honoring the sailing ships
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in inauguration
the process or an instance of being formally placed in an office or organization
attended the inaugurals of the city's last three mayors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inaugural
Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
In its inaugural semester, the agency consists of 24 students drawn from more than 50 applicants.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Edward Russell, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Not So Glamorous Speaking of which, inaugurals are theoretically supposed to be glamorous.
—Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inaugural
Adjective
Nearly 30 years after the inaugural edition, Building a Mystery offers an opportunity to retell the festival’s origin story.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
In its inaugural semester, the agency consists of 24 students drawn from more than 50 applicants.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
If fundraising is Global’s plan with its pair of inaugurals, leaving its A380 parked at JFK for four days between flights is an odd choice.
—Edward Russell, CNN Money, 9 May 2025
Not So Glamorous Speaking of which, inaugurals are theoretically supposed to be glamorous.
—Elisabeth Bumiller, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inaugural
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inaugural
Adjective
-
The first pair, Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K), uses the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds.—
Charles Jefferies,
PC Magazine,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The first hepatitis B vaccine was licensed in 1981, and the ACIP recommended a vaccine dose universally for all babies in 1991.—
Dr. Jade Cobern,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
It is also believed that George visited to receive his mother’s blessing before his presidential inauguration.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Southern Living,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Remember his fixation with his 2016 inauguration crowds?—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Place your initial $5 bet on one of Sunday's games to instantly unlock $200 in bonus bets alongside a $200 NFL Sunday Ticket discount.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Ruud made a big push at the start of the second set, looking to basically stick a fork in the match by winning the 28-year-old American’s initial service game.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The original sketch ran in October 2023, when Bargatze first hosted of the long-running sketch show.—
Rosa Escandon,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
-
By 1880, Jenkins had taken over Moffat’s operation entirely, selling the original business’s stock of Hallet & Davis pianos and Estey organs.—
Sarah Biegelsen,
Kansas City Star,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ground tests, including low-speed taxiing, began in mid-July, with a maiden flight expected later this year.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The Broncos were incorporating new pieces and new offensive wrinkles into their maiden offensive voyage in 2025.—
Nick Kosmider,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Anna Forsythe,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
But some of its foremost victims aren’t Israeli Jews.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inaugural. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share