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”; 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.

Example Sentences

Butler said the incubation period for the virus was 42 days, and arrangements after the initial three weeks' quarantine had yet to be decided.

From Barron's • May 11, 2026

For most of Silicon Valley’s history, startup employees had to wait for an initial public offering before they could sell their shares.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

But after initial missteps that confused markets, Powell’s press conferences got more scripted and he became less willing to entertain questions from reporters on broader economic topics than interest-rate policy.

From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026

"In areas where these termites are common, it's just a matter of time before homes are infested, so this study is a good initial step toward alternative strategies for controlling them."

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

Skye and Madi have recovered from their initial surprise.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• basic
• introductory
• original