Dictionary

initial en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/
• ĭ-nĭsh′(ə)l
• (US) audio
• [ɪˈnɪʃ.(ə̯)l̩]

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Proto-Italic *eneō Latin ineō Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin initium Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin initiālislbor. Middle French initialbor. ▲ Latin initiālislbor. English initial From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“of the beginning, incipient, initial”), from initium (“a going in, entrance”), from inīre (“to go into, enter”), from in (“in”) + ire (“to go”).

Meanings

1. (not-comparable) 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.
   • Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
   • Our initial admiration for their efficiency gave way to disgust about their methods.
   • While the first part to Manchester is level after the initial climb out of Liverpool, the section over the Pennines between Manchester and Leeds is very difficult, with steep gradients as well as many slowings over junctions and curves. 2021 January 13, David Clough, “Trans-Pennine transport transformers”, in RAIL, issue 922, page 58:
2. (not-comparable) Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.
   • Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well. 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:
   • The initial letter of names is usually printed with a capital letter.

Antonyms

final · eternal

Deriveds

initial coin offering · coinitial · initial point · initial reject · initial object · initially · initialness · peninitial · initial condition · initial-value problem · initial topology · noninitial · initial setting time · initial value problem · head-initial · wordinitial · initial caps · initial public offering · preinitial · initial mass function

Hypernyms

early

Hyponyms

prefatory · introductory · inchoate · aboriginal · preliminary · unripe · immature · elementary · premisory · prolusory · preparatory · emergent

Relateds

former · natal

Synonyms

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

Translations (73)

cmn 最初 (chronologically first) · ug باشتىكى (chronologically first) · ba алдағы (spatially first) · fr initial (spatially first) · ru пе́рвый (spatially first) · ru перви́чный (chronologically first) · ug دەسلەپكى (chronologically first) · az ilkin (chronologically first) · uk початко́вий (chronologically first) · hu kezdeti (chronologically first) · el αρχικός (chronologically first) · nl aanvankelijk (chronologically first) · fi esi- (chronologically first) · ja 始めの (spatially first) · uk перви́нний (chronologically first) · fi alkuperäinen (chronologically first) · pl początkowy (chronologically first) · az qabaq (spatially first) · gd tùsail (chronologically first) · ru нача́льный (spatially first) · fi alustava (chronologically first) · ar أَوَّلِيّ (chronologically first) · bg начален (spatially first) · tr ilk (chronologically first) · cs počáteční (chronologically first) · grc ἀρκτικός (chronologically first) · fi ensimmäinen (spatially first) · pt inicial (spatially first) · ca inicial (chronologically first) · bg първоначален (chronologically first) · ja 初期の (chronologically first) · kk тұңғыш (spatially first) · la initiālis (chronologically first) · az birinci (spatially first) · ca inicial (spatially first) · ar أَوَّل (spatially first) · la principiālis (chronologically first) · fr initial (chronologically first) · ba беренсе (chronologically first) · it iniziale (chronologically first) · az ilk (spatially first) · tr ön (spatially first) · cs výchozí (chronologically first) · ru оригина́льный (chronologically first) · de anfänglich (spatially first) · fi varhainen (chronologically first) · cs počáteční (spatially first) · it iniziale (spatially first) · az ön (spatially first) · sk počiatočný (chronologically first) · az ibtidai (chronologically first) · ba беренсе (spatially first) · fi alku- (chronologically first) · ja 最初の (spatially first) · pt inicial (chronologically first) · ru исхо́дный (chronologically first) · kk тұңғыш (chronologically first) · tr ilk (spatially first) · ba алғы (spatially first) · ar أَوَّل (chronologically first) · de anfänglich (chronologically first) · de ursprünglich (chronologically first) · es a quo (chronologically first) · cmn 初始 (chronologically first) · ru первонача́льный (chronologically first) · ja 始めの (chronologically first) · lt pradinis (chronologically first) · ba тәүге (chronologically first) · ru нача́льный (chronologically first) · hu kezdő- (spatially first) · de erster (spatially first) · ba баштағы (spatially first) · es inicial (chronologically first)

initial en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/
• ĭ-nĭsh′(ə)l
• (US) audio
• [ɪˈnɪʃ.(ə̯)l̩]

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Proto-Italic *eneō Latin ineō Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin initium Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin initiālislbor. Middle French initialbor. ▲ Latin initiālislbor. English initial From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“of the beginning, incipient, initial”), from initium (“a going in, entrance”), from inīre (“to go into, enter”), from in (“in”) + ire (“to go”).

Meanings

1. The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).
   • The point of interest about this particular specimen was that it must have remained intact for at least a quarter of a century, as it had embossed in the frosted glass the initials of the old Great North of Scotland Railway in the form of a scroll, the sort of relic of pre-grouping days that can still be found here and there if one is observant. 1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77:
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.

Forms

Deriveds

initialist · initial teaching alphabet · middle initial · initialism · preinitial · initialese

Relateds

monogram

Synonyms

drop cap · versal

Translations (89)

cs iniciála (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · eo inicialoj (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · pl inicjał (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · ru бу́квица (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · ko 첫소리 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · ko 두문자 (first letter of a word) · fr initiale (first letter of a word) · hu monogram (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · sv initialbokstav (first letter of a word) · ms inisial (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · sh иницѝја̄л (first letter of a word) · fi anfangi (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · cmn 聲母 /声母 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · uk ініціа́л (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ca obertura (first part of a syllable (onset)) · de Initial (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · ja イニシャル (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · hu iniciálé (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · is upphafsstafir (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · tr başlak (first letter of a word) · tr başlak (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · nl beginletter (first letter of a word) · el πρωτόγραμμα (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · sh inicìjāl (first letter of a word) · fi alkukirjain (first letter of a word) · fr lettrine (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · fr initiale (first part of a syllable (onset)) · ca caplletra (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · el μονογραφή (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · cmn 聲紐 /声纽 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · ca inicials (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ru инициа́ль (first part of a syllable (onset)) · tr başlaklar (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ja 頭文字 (first letter of a word) · bg начална буква (first letter of a word) · eo ĉeflitero (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · sv anfang (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · de Initiale (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · de Initiale (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · es iniciales (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · cmn 首字放大 (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · ru инициа́л (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · ru нача́льная бу́ква (first letter of a word) · bg инициал (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ko 초성 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · sv initial (first letter of a word) · cmn 音紐 /音纽 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · pt inicial (first letter of a word) · sv begynnelsebokstav (first letter of a word) · is fangamark (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · fr lettrine (first letter of a word) · sv monogram (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · mk иниција́л (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · hy սկզբնատառ (first letter of a word) · sv initial (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ko 성모 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · ca inicial (first letter of a word) · nl initiaal (first letter of a word) · cmn 紐 /纽 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · mk иниција́л (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ru инициа́л (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · eo ĉeflitero (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · eo inicialo (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ga ceannlitir (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · fr initiale (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ba баш хәреф (first letter of a word) · hu kezdőbetű (first letter of a word) · de Anfangsbuchstabe (first letter of a word) · tr başlak (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · gl iniciais (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · eo ĉeflitero (first letter of a word) · vi thanh mẫu (first part of a syllable (onset)) · nl voorletter (first letter of a word) · tr baş harf (first letter of a word) · fi nimikirjaimet (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · cmn 首字母 (first letter of a word) · ga túslitir (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · uk початко́ва лі́тера (first letter of a word) · is upphafsstafur (first letter of a word) · fi aloke (first part of a syllable (onset)) · ja イニシャル (first letters of a person's name as a unit) · ga túslitir (first letter of a word) · ja 声母 (first part of a syllable (onset)) · fr première lettre (first letter of a word) · ga ceannlitir (first letter of a word) · ga iniseal (calligraphy: distinguished initial letter) · de Initiale (first letter of a word) · ar حَرْف أَوَّلِيّ (first letter of a word) · el αρχικό γράμμα (first letter of a word)

initial en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/
• ĭ-nĭsh′(ə)l
• (US) audio
• [ɪˈnɪʃ.(ə̯)l̩]

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Italic *en Proto-Italic *en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *h₁éyti Proto-Italic *ejō Proto-Italic *eō Proto-Italic *eneō Latin ineō Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -iusnom. Latin -ium Latin initium Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin initiālislbor. Middle French initialbor. ▲ Latin initiālislbor. English initial From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“of the beginning, incipient, initial”), from initium (“a going in, entrance”), from inīre (“to go into, enter”), from in (“in”) + ire (“to go”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
   • Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.

Forms

Relateds

init · initialize · middle · initiation · initiative · initiate

Translations (16)

hu szignál (to sign one's initial(s)) · hu kézjeggyel ellát (to sign one's initial(s)) · hu parafál (to sign one's initial(s)) · fi parafoida (to sign one's initial(s)) · tr parafelemek (to sign one's initial(s)) · nl paraferen (to sign one's initial(s)) · pt rubricar (to sign one's initial(s)) · tr parafe etmek (to sign one's initial(s)) · fr parapher (to sign one's initial(s)) · fi vahvistaa nimikirjaimilla (to sign one's initial(s)) · de abzeichnen (to sign one's initial(s)) · cmn 草簽 /草签 (to sign one's initial(s)) · el μονογραφώ (to sign one's initial(s)) · de paraphrasieren (to sign one's initial(s)) · ru парафи́ровать (to sign one's initial(s)) · tr paraflamak (to sign one's initial(s))