Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Initiative \In*i"ti*a*tive\, a. [Cf. F. initiatif.]
   Serving to initiate; inceptive; initiatory; introductory;
   preliminary.

Initiative \In*i"ti*a*tive\, n. [Cf. F. initiative.]
   1. An introductory step or movement; an act which originates
      or begins.

            The undeveloped initiatives of good things to come.
                                                  --I. Taylor.

   2. The right or power to introduce a new measure or course of
      action, as in legislation; as, the initiative in respect
      to revenue bills is in the House of Representatives.

Initiative \In*i"ti*a*tive\, n. (Political Science)
   The right or procedure by which legislation may be introduced
   or enacted directly by the people, as in the Swiss
   Confederation and in many of the States of the United States;
   -- chiefly used with the. The procedure of the initiative is
   essentially as follows: Upon the filing of a petition signed
   by a required number or percentage of qualified voters the
   desired measure must be submitted to a popular vote, and upon
   receiving the required majority (commonly a majority of those
   voting on the measure submitted) it becomes a law. In some
   States of the United States the initiative is only local; in
   others it is state-wide and includes the making of
   constitutional amendments.

Source : WordNet®

initiative
     adj : serving to set in motion; "the magazine's inaugural issue";
           "the initiative phase in the negotiations"; "an
           initiatory step toward a treaty"; "his first (or
           maiden) speech in Congress"; "the liner's maiden
           voyage" [syn: {inaugural}, {initiatory}, {first}, {maiden}]
     n 1: readiness to embark on bold new ventures [syn: {enterprise},
           {enterprisingness}, {go-ahead}]
     2: the first of a series of actions; "he memorized all the
        important chess openings" [syn: {first step}, {opening
        move}, {opening}]