initial
Americanadjective
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of, relating to, or occurring at the beginning; first.
the initial step in a process.
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Phonetics. occurring at the beginning of a word or syllable, as the (k) sound of kite, chasm, or quay.
noun
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an initial letter, as of a word.
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the first letter of a proper name.
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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)
adjective
noun
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the first letter of a word, esp a person's name
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printing a large sometimes highly decorated letter set at the beginning of a chapter or work
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botany a cell from which tissues and organs develop by division and differentiation; a meristematic cell
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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initialsimple
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initialssimple
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have initialedperfect
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have initialledperfect
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has initialedperfect
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has initialledperfect
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am initialingprogressive
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am initiallingprogressive
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are initialingprogressive
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are initiallingprogressive
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is initialingprogressive
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is initiallingprogressive
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have been initialingperfect progressive
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have been initiallingperfect progressive
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has been initialingperfect progressive
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has been initiallingperfect progressive
Past
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initialedsimple
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initialledsimple
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had initialedperfect
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had initialledperfect
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was initialingprogressive
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was initiallingprogressive
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were initialingprogressive
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were initiallingprogressive
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had been initialingperfect progressive
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had been initiallingperfect progressive
Future
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”; cf. comes) + -ium -ium ) + -alis -al 1
Explanation
The first letter of your name is your initial. The first thing you say to someone is your initial greeting. Initial is something that occurs first or at the beginning. If someone asks you to initial a form, they're asking you to sign by writing your initials on it. If your name is Inna Instant, you would write I.I., and you'd probably write it really quick! The first draft of a paper might be called your initial pass at getting your ideas down. If you say that these are your initial ideas, it implies that you will be coming up with more.
Vocabulary lists containing initial
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Word Generation Science - Preparing a Scientific Investigation
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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.
An “extensive search” of the surrounding area was conducted at the time of the initial report using K-9 teams and air assets, but she was not located, according to the press release.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2026
OpenAI and Anthropic are offering a string of promotions and one-time bonuses, even as both companies face enormous pressure to improve their margins ahead of expected initial public offerings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 7, 2026
The two lead underwriters on SpaceX’s initial public offering, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, have a valuation gap of more than $1 trillion as they both initiated coverage at the equivalent of buy.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 7, 2026
When the initial agreement was signed by Kenya's President William Ruto in Washington last December, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he hoped it would be the first of many.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
He'd stuck a Post-it on the front with a simple message—Plant this!—and the initial A4 hastily scrawled in the corner.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
