01
der Initiator
initiator
A person who provides the impetus for a project, movement, or event and brings it into being.
example
Der Bürgermeister war der Initiator des neuen Stadtfestes.
The mayor was the initiator of the new town festival.
der Initiator
initiator
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
'Der Initiator' (the initiator) belongs to a word family with the verb 'initiieren' (to initiate/start something) and the noun 'die Initiative' (the impetus, an action/initiative). If you know one word in the family, you can understand the others more easily.
EXAMPLE
Er hat eine Bürgerinitiative für den Erhalt des alten Parks initiiert.
He initiated a citizens' initiative to preserve the old park.
Register and style
This word belongs to formal language. You often find it in newspaper articles, official documents, or the business world. It is used less often in everyday conversation.
EXAMPLE
In dem Bericht wird der Initiator des Programms namentlich genannt.
The report names the initiator of the program.
Sentence structure and usage
To specify what was started, 'Initiator' (initiator) is usually followed by a genitive ('der Initiator des Projekts' — the initiator of the project) or a prepositional phrase with 'von' ('der Initiator von dem Projekt' — the initiator of the project).
EXAMPLE
Als Initiator des Festivals begrüßte er die Gäste.
As the initiator of the festival, he welcomed the guests.
Typical collocations
An initiator typically starts something concrete. Common combinations are 'Initiator eines Projekts' (initiator of a project), 'einer Bewegung' (of a movement), 'einer Reform' (of a reform), or 'einer Veranstaltung' (of an event).
EXAMPLE
Sie gilt als Initiatorin der modernen Umweltbewegung in der Region.
She is considered the initiator of the modern environmental movement in the region.
Compare with
Initiator vs Autor
author
'der Autor' and 'der Initiator' can both be connected with an idea or a plan. Here, 'Autor' means the person who intellectually created an idea, concept, or plan. 'Initiator' means the person who gives the first impulse and gets something started, for example a project, campaign, or event. The words can be confused because the same person is sometimes both. The important difference is the focus: 'Autor' emphasizes the content or idea, while 'Initiator' emphasizes the start and organization.
Initiator
Der Initiator der Spendenaktion hat viele Nachbarn angesprochen.
The initiator of the fundraising campaign spoke to many neighbors.
Autor
Der Autor des neuen Konzepts erklärt seine Idee im Team.
The author of the new concept explains his idea to the team.
In real life
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