initial

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
2. (not-comparable) Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.

Noun

1. The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).
2. A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
3. onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.

Verb

To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪˈnɪʃəl/

Etymology

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”).

Synonyms

first

1st

primary

beginning

original

preliminary

introductory

elementary

initiatory

basic

incipient

starting

inceptive

preparatory

primal

at the beginning

primordial

pristine

early

opening

initial letter

sign

signature

start

principal

chief

ultimate

underwrite

inaugural

prefatory

first letter

near

onset

actual

close

prime

real

int

endorse

outset

past

I

preceding

prelim

primeval

primitive

prior

propaedeutic

rudimentary

salutatory

top

🔝

Translations

initial

iniziale

inicial

initiale

inicial

Initiale

parapher

inicial

anfänglich

initiaal

voorletter

Anfang

paraphieren

Anfangsbuchstabe

αρχικός

Sentences

The initial Quicken software did not function as a " double-entry " accounting package .