initial
Americanadjective
-
of, relating to, or occurring at the beginning; first.
the initial step in a process.
-
Phonetics. occurring at the beginning of a word or syllable, as the (k) sound of kite, chasm, or quay.
noun
-
initials
plural
-
an initial letter, as of a word.
-
the first letter of a proper name.
-
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)
-
initials,
present (3rd person singular)
-
initialed,
past participle, past
-
initialled,
past participle, past (especially British)
-
initialing,
present participle
-
initialling
present participle (especially British)
adjective
noun
-
the first letter of a word, esp a person's name
-
printing a large sometimes highly decorated letter set at the beginning of a chapter or work
-
botany a cell from which tissues and organs develop by division and differentiation; a meristematic cell
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
initialernoun
-
preinitialverb (used with object)
-
subinitialverb (used with object)
-
uninitialedadjective
-
initiallyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
initialsimple
-
initialssimple
-
have initialedperfect
-
have initialledperfect
-
has initialedperfect
-
has initialledperfect
-
am initialingprogressive
-
am initiallingprogressive
-
are initialingprogressive
-
are initiallingprogressive
-
is initialingprogressive
-
is initiallingprogressive
-
have been initialingperfect progressive
-
have been initiallingperfect progressive
-
has been initialingperfect progressive
-
has been initiallingperfect progressive
Past
-
initialedsimple
-
initialledsimple
-
had initialedperfect
-
had initialledperfect
-
was initialingprogressive
-
was initiallingprogressive
-
were initialingprogressive
-
were initiallingprogressive
-
had been initialingperfect progressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Word Generation Science - Preparing a Scientific Investigation
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Many are longtime supporters who signed on with the company’s initial public offering just weeks ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Hogan has suggested there is no prospect of FSG entertaining a full sale of the club, but Maguire believes if the initial investment goes well, that could change.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Last week, the Hangzhou-based company priced its shares at about $22, seeking to raise about $900 million in an initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
The move is expected to involve the release of around 3,500 PKK-linked detainees in an initial phase, lawmakers said -- around a third of the number held in Turkish prisons.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
In fact, many of them grew their hair back after that initial haircut, and no one tried to stop them.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
The United Arab Emirates reported there was no local transmission when the patient, known by his initials M.S., was there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
The former leader, known by his initials JOH, returned home on July 26, nearly eight months after Trump issued his shock pardon that overturned Hernandez's 45-year prison sentence.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Each ends with the coach’s initials, similar to the way a painter signs his portraits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
It said the contracts involved people whom it identified only by their initials as A.Sh.,
From Barron's ● Jun. 13, 2026
Mr. Shareef’s initials were carved into the bark, at the bottom of a long list of initials.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
One of the invoices is initialed “SW” with “OK to pay” written by it.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 12, 2022
He testified to purchasing a car for $3,500 and initialed a blank sales agreement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
The sisters are also selling a diamond-encrusted pocket watch, an 18k gold and platinum belt buckle and a gold initialed “AC” money clip and home movies featuring Al Capone and his associates.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 26, 2021
At the very top, there are two giant joists initialed by workers from 1864.
From New York Times ● May 31, 2020
The next day, in Paris, Kissinger and Le Duc Tho initialed the deal to end the Vietnam War.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
The US State Department said technical teams had initialled the draft text on Wednesday, ahead of a formal signing ceremony next Friday to be witnessed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2025
Medinsky said Russia had made a second major de-escalatory step by agreeing to a possible meeting of the two countries’ presidents at the same moment that a peace agreement was initialled.
From Reuters ● Mar. 29, 2022
Pages initialled by "DC" set out how the single market, due to start in 1992, would help business, workers, consumers, savers, holidaymakers.
From BBC ● Mar. 8, 2019
President Mohamed Mursi's government initialled an IMF deal in November but postponed ratification in December due to unrest ignited by a political row over the extent of Mursi's powers.
From Reuters ● Apr. 3, 2013
“That is correct, Monsieur. My handkerchiefs are always initialled in the Russian characters. H is N in Russian.”
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
Sometimes, I think back to initialing the bark, or nailing a plank of wood into the trunk, or breaking a branch by accident.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 19, 2023
Scott McDonell, the Dane County clerk, said the man is a poll worker, and the video shows him initialing ballots before they were handed out to voters.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 11, 2022
But he turned out to be a poll worker in Wisconsin conducting the standard procedure of initialing ballots for voters.
From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2022
He was initialing ballots to be handed out to voters, a standard procedure mandated by state law, said Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2022
Each man had a sole-leather trunk on his shoulder, a trunk so new that the initialing "G. V. S." was still wet.
From The Messenger by Elizabeth Robins
This is the Epeira’s trade-mark, the flourish of an artist initialling his creation.
From The Life of the Spider by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos
Miss Belmont stooped at the table, and when Mr. Berry entered he found her initialling the pay-sheet.
From Despair's Last Journey by David Christie Murray
While Mollie and Grace closed their eyes, Betty dug idly in the sand, and Amy produced a handkerchief and a tiny embroidery frame and began initialling a corner.
From The Outdoor Girls at Ocean View Or, The Box That Was Found in the Sand by Laura Lee Hope
He was very preoccupied, pinning up cheques and initialling some important customer's paying-in book.
From Somehow Good by William Frend De Morgan
This is the Epeira's trade-mark, the flourish of an artist initialling his creation.
From The Wonders of Instinct Chapters in the Psychology of Insects by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos
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.
