From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin - etymon initiālis, from initium, from inire, from in + ire.

• IPA: /ɪˈnɪʃəl/

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.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC ↗:

     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.

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 […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC ↗:

     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.

• incipient
• opening

• final

• French: initial
• German: anfänglich, ursprünglich
• Italian: iniziale
• Portuguese: inicial
• Russian: нача́льный
• Spanish: inicial

• French: initial
• German: anfänglich, erster
• Italian: iniziale
• Portuguese: inicial
• Russian: нача́льный

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.

• (typography, calligraphy) drop cap, versal

• French: lettrine, initiale, première lettre
• German: Anfangsbuchstabe; Initiale
• Portuguese: inicial
• Russian: начальная буква

• French: initiale
• German: Initiale
• Russian: инициа́л
• Spanish: iniciales

• French: lettrine
• German: Initiale, Initial
• Russian: бу́квица

• French: initiale
• Russian: инициа́ль

initial (initials, present participle initialing; simple 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.

• French: parapher
• German: paraphrasieren, abzeichnen
• Portuguese: rubricar
• Russian: парафи́ровать