iniciar

Senses

1. 1.

   to start, to begin

   to cause something to begin or to begin doing something

2. 2.

   to initiate

   to introduce someone to a new activity, field, or knowledge

3. 3.

   to boot up, to start

   to start a computer system or program

Examples

• "Vamos iniciar a reunião às 9h."

  We're going to start the meeting at 9 a.m.

• "Ele foi iniciado nos segredos da empresa."

  He was initiated into the company's secrets.

• "Preciso iniciar o computador para verificar os arquivos."

  I need to start up the computer to check the files.

Usage

Iniciar is slightly more formal than "começar" (to begin). Common collocations include "iniciar sessão" (to log in), "iniciar um processo" (to start a process), and "iniciar carreira" (to start one's career). Often used reflexively as "iniciar-se" meaning to begin or to be initiated into something.