initial
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From French, from Latin initialis (“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”).
Pronunciation[edit]
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Audio (US) (file)
Adjective[edit]
initial (not comparable)
- Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin
- Our initial admiration for their efficiency gave way to disgust about their methods
- The initial stages of a syndrome may differ vastly from the final symptoms
- Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word
Synonyms[edit]
Antonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning
Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Noun[edit]
initial (plural initials)
- The first letter of a word or a name.
- In plural, the first letter of each word of a person's full name considered as a unit
- You can get your initials printed at the top.
- (typography, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
- (phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
first letter of a word
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first letters of a person's name as a unit
calligraphy: distinguished initial letter
first part of a syllable (onset)
Verb[edit]
initial (third-person singular simple present initials, present participle initialing or initialling, simple past and past participle initialed or initialled)
- (transitive) To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
- Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.
Translations[edit]
to sign one's initial(s)
See also[edit]
Related terms[edit]
External links[edit]
- initial in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- initial in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- initial at OneLook Dictionary Search
French[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Latin initialis, from initium 'beginning'
Adjective[edit]
initial m (feminine initiale, masculine plural initials, feminine plural initiales)
