English
initial
Pronunciation
  • IPA: /ɪˈnɪʃəl/
Adjective

initial (not comparable)

  1. 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.
  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.
    • 1892, Walter Besant, “Prologue: Who is Edmund Gray?”, in The Ivory Gate: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], OCLC 16832619 ↗:
      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.
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Translations Noun

initial (plural initials)

  1. The first letter of a word or a name.
  2. 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.
  3. (typesetting, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
  4. (phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
Synonyms Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • French: initiale
  • Russian: инициа́ль
Verb

initial (initials, present participle initialing; past and past participle initialed)

  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.
Translations

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