Initialize

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɪˈnɪʃəlaɪz/

Definitions

1. To set something up or prepare it for operation, such as a device or system at the start
2. To begin a process by arranging or configuring necessary elements for function
3. To make an item ready for use by establishing initial settings or conditions

Etymology: "Initialize" is a plain formation: the adjective "initial," meaning first or at the beginning, with the verb-forming suffix "-ize" added to it. "Initial" itself comes from Latin "initialis," derived from "initium," beginning, and the sense of the verb follows directly from it: to set something going by putting its starting conditions in place. The most common use of the verb today is in computing, where a program or device is "initialized" when its variables, memory, or settings are given their starting values before anything else runs. The same logic applies to a hardware component being prepared for use, and the verb carries that sense of getting everything ready at the outset into other technical contexts.

Synonyms: set up, start, begin, establish, activate

Antonyms: terminate, end, finish, close, stop