ab initio

American  

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

adverb

Latin.

1. from the beginning.

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ab initio British  

/ æb ɪˈnɪʃɪˌəʊ /

1. from the start; from scratch

   ab initio courses

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Example Sentences

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

Some key questions that ab initio calculations can help answer are the binding energies and properties of atomic nuclei and the link between nuclear structure and the underlying interactions between protons and neutrons.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

The extensive ab initio molecular dynamics simulations used in this study were still limited by their short time and length scales and high computational costs in representing the chemical reactions.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023

The void ab initio doctrine has obvious application in SisterSong.

From Slate • Nov. 16, 2022

Therefore, it is alleged, the analogy between natural selection and artificial selection fails ab initio, or at the fountain-head of the causes which are taken by the analogy to be respectively involved.

From Darwin, and After Darwin (Vol. 1 and 3, of 3) An Exposition of the Darwinian Theory and a Discussion of Post-Darwinian Questions by Romanes, George John