ab initio

American

[ahb i-nit-ee-oh, ab i-nish-ee-oh] / ɑb ɪˈnɪt iˌoʊ, æb ɪˈnɪʃ iˌoʊ /

adverb

Latin.

from the beginning.

ab initio British

/ æb ɪˈnɪʃɪˌəʊ /

from the start; from scratch

ab initio courses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many universities now offer "ab initio" undergraduate courses for languages, meaning you can start as a complete beginner - something Prof Koglbauer says has bolstered uptake.

From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025

This effect was confirmed through ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, which revealed the migration pathways of protons near the Sc cation when transporting across the material.

From Science Daily • May 29, 2024

While the research team focused exclusively on quantum Monte Carlo simulations, wavefunction matching should be useful for many different ab initio approaches.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

The void ab initio doctrine has obvious application in SisterSong.

From Slate • Nov. 16, 2022

The complete computation of the circumstances of an eclipse ab initio requires three distinct processes.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023