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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initials
plural
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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)
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initials,
present (3rd person singular)
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initialed,
past participle, past
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initialled,
past participle, past (especially British)
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initialing,
present participle
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initialling
present participle (especially British)
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
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initialernoun
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preinitialverb (used with object)
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subinitialverb (used with object)
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uninitialedadjective
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initiallyadverb
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.
See Examples For:
He later expressed explicitly that he would not be targeting a 2026 initial public offering.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 12, 2026
Consumer sentiment has dropped in September, according to the initial reading of the University of Michigan’s monthly survey.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
A police report outlined the initial response from police who arrived at the scene.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The company said no-one was injured and its initial assessment was that an object extending above the roof of a moving vehicle came into contact with the drone.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
It was like riding a roller coaster and relaxing enough to let the initial panic turn into something else: Exhilaration.
From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi
Some pointed to reports that the driver of the BMW had the initials NSC and was born in 1961, leading to speculation that he was a former member of parliament.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
She wears a pearl-trimmed French hood; a dark, square-necked gown with white lace, gold and pearl trim; a pearl necklace; and, with one exception, a pearl necklace with the pendant initials “AB” or “B.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
After getting fired, Eatherly pivoted, creating his own remodeling business, named after his initials, DLE Contracting.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 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
The men reached the house and realized it belonged to Joaquim Antonio—the man whose initials Rondon had found carved on a signpost.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
During his summation, Steinglass pointed to a document that had been initialed by Trump and called it “explicit” proof of his knowing that his executives were tinkering with expenses to reduce their tax liabilities.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 2022
Another poll worker also initialed the ballots before they were handed to voters.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 8, 2022
He testified to purchasing a car for $3,500 and initialed a blank sales agreement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2022
A small auction house in Massachusetts offered it for sale as a “an unidentified gentleman, initialed I.L., and dated 1652,” with an estimate of $200 to $300.
From New York Times ● Jun. 15, 2022
Jesse had been so careful not to lose his recess time that even now he chewed his bologna sandwich with his lips tight shut and his eyes on the initialed heart.
From "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Paterson
He reminded the jury of that evidence, including a memo the former president initialled authorising a pay cut for another executive for the exact amount of his perk, rent paid by the company.
From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2022
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
Agreements would also be initialled with Georgia and Moldova.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2013
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
He was initialing ballots to be handed out to voters, a standard procedure mandated by state law, according to the county clerk.
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
His correspondence shows him to have been a warm-hearted friend; and he had the same devout practice of initialing his manuscripts as his brother.
From Haydn by J. Cuthbert (James Cuthbert) Hadden
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
The earlier taste still ruled in initialling and border decorations; but little flowers were added by degrees to the thorn-leaf pattern, and birds, sometimes angels, introduced.
From The Development of the Feeling for Nature in the Middle Ages and Modern Times by Alfred Biese
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.
