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initial

[ ih-nish-uhl ]
/ ɪˈnɪʃ əl /
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See synonyms for: initial / initialed / initialing / initialled on Thesaurus.com
adjective
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
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), in·i·tialed, in·i·tial·ing or (especially British) in·i·tialled, in·i·tial·ling.
to mark or sign with an initial or the initials of one's name, especially as a token of preliminary or informal approval.
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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-al1

OTHER WORDS FROM initial

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to initial

basic, introductory, original, antecedent, commencing, first, fundamental, germinal, inaugural, infant, initiative, leading, opening, pioneer, virgin, earliest, elementary, embryonic, foremost, headmost

How to use initial in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for initial

initial
/ (ɪˈnɪʃəl) /
adjective
of, at, or concerning the beginning
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 -tials, -tialling or -tialled or US -tials, -tialing or -tialed
(tr) to sign with one's initials, esp to indicate approval; endorse

Derived forms of initial

initialer or initialler, nouninitially, adverb

Word Origin for initial

C16: from Latin initiālis of the beginning, from initium beginning, literally: an entering upon, from inīre to go in, from in- ² + īre to go
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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