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

An object is chiral when its mirror image cannot be perfectly aligned with the original.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

"He went back to his original formula, and it wasn't pretty!"

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

The original plans would have delayed 799,000 people from gaining permanent residency.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

All of which had been mentioned as part of the original question.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Often their words were set down in a style that attempted to capture the original regional dialect and grammar.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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

He pointed to this year’s surprise hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” two low-budget originals that drew big crowds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 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

Each artist sings lead on his originals, and the record’s tracks alternate between the pair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026

They look like the originals, but different in a way that is so clearly my grandfather’s style.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh

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Related Words

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

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