initial
Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
Adjective 2 meanings
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.”
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 3 meanings
The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).
A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
Verb 1 meaning
To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
“Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.”
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”).
Similar and opposite words
INITIAL at a glance
INITIAL has 7 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (I 1 + N 1 + I 1 + T 1 + I 1 + A 1 + L 1) and 9 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #1,899 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with initial
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