English Explanatory Dictionary

initial

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
  2. Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.
noun
  1. The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).
  2. A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
  3. onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
verb
  1. To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.

Pronunciation

/ɪˈnɪʃəl/ en-us-initial.ogg /ɪˈniʃ(ɪ)jal/ /-s(ɪ)jal/

Word forms

initial initials initialing initialling initialed initialled

Etymology

From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“of the beginning, incipient, initial”), from initium (“a going in, entrance, beginning”), from inire (“to go in, enter upon, begin”), from in (“in”) + ire (“to go”).

Synonyms

incipient inceptive opening beginning commencing earliest first initial maiden nascent original primary prime primeval primitive primordial starting drop cap versal

Antonyms

final eternal

Related words

former natal monogram init initialize initiate initiation initiative middle

Derived words

coinitial head-initial initial caps initial coin offering initial condition initially initial mass function initialness initial object initial point initial public offering initial reject initial setting time initial topology initial-value problem initial value problem noninitial peninitial wordinitial preinitial initialese initialism initialist initial teaching alphabet middle initial
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