initial

American  

[ih-nish-uhl] / ɪˈnɪʃ əl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or occurring at the beginning; first.

   the initial step in a process.

2. Phonetics. occurring at the beginning of a word or syllable, as the (k) sound of kite, chasm, or quay.

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noun

1. an initial letter, as of a word.

2. the first letter of a proper name.

3. a letter of extra size or an ornamental character used at the beginning of a chapter or other division of a book, manuscript, or the like.

verb (used with object)

initialed, initialing, initialled, initialling

1. to mark or sign with an initial or the initials of one's name, especially as a token of preliminary or informal approval.

initial British  

/ ɪˈnɪʃəl /

adjective

1. of, at, or concerning the beginning

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noun

1. the first letter of a word, esp a person's name

2. printing a large sometimes highly decorated letter set at the beginning of a chapter or work

3. botany a cell from which tissues and organs develop by division and differentiation; a meristematic cell

verb

1. (tr) to sign with one's initials, esp to indicate approval; endorse

Other Word Forms

• initialer noun
• initially adverb
• preinitial verb (used with object)
• subinitial verb (used with object)
• uninitialed adjective

Etymology

Origin of initial

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin initiālis, equivalent to initi(um) “beginning” ( init-, noun derivative of inīre “to enter, begin”; in- in- ² + īre “to go”; comes ) + -ium -ium ) + -alis -al ¹

Example Sentences

So that’s what is cushioning much of the initial hit to households from higher gas prices, Skordeles says.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

He said he thinks things could get especially choppy once lockups expire, meaning company insiders and early investors are able to sell their shares after an initial restricted period.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve initial funding of the new building, which at that time was planned for 2023 with an estimated cost of $600 million.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

As SpaceX approaches an initial public offering, some investors are discussing the idea of a mega-Musk merger as a follow-up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

As he got over his initial shock, he noticed other details: the frost spreading from the base of the Doors, the purplish glow in the air around them, and the chains that held them fast.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• basic
• introductory
• original