inaugural

1 of 2

adjective

in·​au·​gu·​ral i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl How to pronounce inaugural (audio)
-g(ə-)rəl
1
: of or relating to an inauguration
2
: marking a beginning : first in a projected series

inaugural

2 of 2

noun

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
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.
Adjective
No guarantees Success is never assured on the inaugural launch of a new rocket. Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2025 The championship games will be played Saturday afternoon, starting with the women’s final at noon before the winner of the inaugural men’s bracket is crowned following their championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday. Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 21 Mar. 2025
Noun
Presidential inaugurations that usher a new party into power almost always feel like the dawn of an era — Reagan, Clinton, Bush, Obama — but the second inaugural of Donald J. Trump felt fundamentally different. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025 Similar to previous inaugurals, Nielsen’s audience numbers do not include streaming which continues to grow as a video source. Brad Adgate, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inaugural

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1689, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inaugural was in 1689

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Inaugural.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inaugural. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

inaugural

1 of 2 adjective
in·​au·​gu·​ral in-ˈȯ-gyə-rəl How to pronounce inaugural (audio)
-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 noun
1
: an inaugural address
2

More from Merriam-Webster on inaugural

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!