initial
Forms
- Plural
- initials
- present (v1)
- initial
- 3rd person singular
- initials
Definitions
1.Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
- The initial stages of a syndrome may differ vastly from the final symptoms.
- Our initial admiration for their efficiency gave way to disgust about their methods.
2.Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.
- The initial letter of names is usually printed with a capital letter.
1.onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
2.The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).
3.A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
1.To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
- Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.
Frequency
Overall
Uncommon· #2061
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Uncommon
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Rare
Related words
Word family
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”).