initial

From Middle French initial or directly from its Latin etymon initiālis (“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”).

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈnɪʃəl/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪʃəl

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.

   • 2021 January 13, David Clough, “Trans-Pennine transport transformers”, in RAIL, issue 922, page 58:

     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.

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

initial P (calligraphy)

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. (typography, 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

• initialism
• initial teaching alphabet

initial (third-person singular simple present initials, present participle initialing or initialling, simple past and past participle initialed or initialled)

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.

• middle

• “initial”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “initial”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “initial”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

From Latin initiālis, from initium (“beginning”).

• IPA^(key): /i.ni.sjal/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -al

initial (feminine initiale, masculine plural initiaux, feminine plural initiales)

1. initial

• “initial”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• IPA^(key): /iniˈt͡sɪ̯aːl/

• Audio

  (file)

initial (strong nominative masculine singular initialer, not comparable)

1. initial, incipient

From Latin initiālis.

initial m (definite singular initialen, indefinite plural initialer, definite plural initialene)

1. an initial (first letter of a name)

• “initial” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

From Latin initiālis.

initial m (definite singular initialen, indefinite plural initialar, definite plural initialane)

1. an initial (first letter of a name)

• “initial” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.