initial
/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/ adjective, noun, verb
Forms initials initialing initialling initialed initialled
- adjective 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.”
- adjective 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.”
- noun The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).
- noun (typography, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
- noun (phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
- verb (transitive) To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature. “Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.”
Synonyms
incipient inceptive opening beginning commencing earliest first maiden nascent original primary prime primeval primitive primordial starting drop cap versal
Antonyms
Etymology
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”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or pertaining to the beginning; marking the commencement; incipient; commencing; as, the initial symptoms of a disease.
- adjective Placed at the beginning; standing at the head, as of a list or series; as, the initial letters of a name.
- noun The first letter of a word or a name.
- verb To put an initial to; to mark with an initial of initials. [R.]
Etymology [L. initialis, from initium a going in, entrance, beginning, fr. inire to go into, to enter, begin; pref. in- in + ire to go: cf. F. initial. See Issue, and cf. Commence.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “initial”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details