original

American  

[uh-rij-uh-nl] / əˈrɪdʒ ə nl /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the origin or beginning of something, or to a thing at its beginning.

   The book still has its original binding.

   Synonyms:

   primitive, primeval, primordial, primary

2. new; fresh; inventive; novel.

   an original way of advertising.

3. arising or proceeding independently of anything else.

   an original view of history.

4. capable of or given to thinking or acting in an independent, creative, or individual manner.

   an original thinker.

5. created, undertaken, or presented for the first time.

   to give the original performance of a string quartet.

6. being something from which a copy, a translation, or the like is made.

   The original document is in Washington.

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noun

• originals
  plural

1. a primary form or type from which varieties are derived.

   Synonyms:

   model, prototype, pattern, archetype

   Antonyms:

   copy

2. an original work, writing, or the like, as opposed to any copy or imitation.

   The original of this is in the British Museum.

3. the person or thing represented by a picture, description, etc..

   The original is said to have been the painter's own house.

4. a person whose ways of thinking or acting are original.

   In a field of brilliant technicians he is a true original.

5. Archaic. an eccentric person.

6. Archaic. a source of being; an author or originator.

original British  

/ əˈrɪdʒɪnəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to an origin or beginning

2. fresh and unusual; novel

3. able to think of or carry out new ideas or concepts

4. being that from which a copy, translation, etc, is made

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noun

1. the first and genuine form of something, from which others are derived

2. a person or thing used as a model in art or literature

3. a person whose way of thinking is unusual or creative

4. an unconventional or strange person

5. the first form or occurrence of something

6. an archaic word for originator See originator

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonoriginal
  adjective
• preoriginal
  adjective
• quasi-original
  adjective
• unoriginal
  adjective
• nonoriginally
  adverb
• preoriginally
  adverb
• quasi-originally
  adverb
• unoriginally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• originals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of original

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin orīginālis (adjective) and Medieval Latin orīgināle “original document” (noun use of neuter adjective), equivalent to orīgin- “beginning, source” + -ālis adjective suffix; see origin, -al ¹

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Explanation

When you buy a car from its original owner, you know it's only been owned by one person. Original means "the very first." Original comes from the Latin word originem, which means "beginning or birth." Whether you're using it as an adjective to describe something that is literally the very first, or as a noun meaning something that serves as a model for making copies, original means "first." Even when you describe an original idea, meaning "something fresh or unusual," you're talking about the first idea of its kind.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

original originals

If they felt strongly, they could have come forward at any time, even if Khawaja is proved correct in his claim he was not interviewed in the original investigation.

From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026

The original Scion launched in 2003 to bring younger buyers into Toyota’s aging base.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026

Conservationists have restored most of the original 16 towers and surrounding walls over the past 14 years, and put the finishing touches on a stone marker at the entrance last week.

From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026

“Suno exists to help people create new, original music, not to trade on anyone’s name or likeness, and we prohibit any unauthorized use of an artist’s work,” a spokesperson at Suno said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

Sara stopped several times to make sure she was following the directions properly, once making a U-turn only to spin around and head back in the original direction a few feet later.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

The kit he processed tonight was roughly 20 generations removed from those originals.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

The results were “very close to the originals: same structure, same hooks reused with light rewording, and full sets of verses/choruses/bridges.”

From Salon ● Oct. 30, 2026

The franchise has been in the Netflix global top 10 for a total of 17 weeks and a total of 13 weeks in the Nielsen streaming originals top 10 since 2022.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

"An older audience might remember the originals and feel warmly towards them, and a younger audience might find an appeal in the retro aspect."

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

In Peking, in the 1670s, Ferdinand Verbiest, a Jesuit astronomer, was able to build instruments based on his designs without ever having seen Brahe’s originals.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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Related Words

• creative
• imaginative
• innovative
• inventive
• seminal
• unconventional
• unusual

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