initial
See also: inițial
English
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”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɪˈnɪʃəl/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɪʃəl
Adjective
initial (not comparable)
- 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:
- 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.
- 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 16832619:
- 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.
Synonyms
- incipient
- opening
Antonyms
- final
Derived terms
- initially
- initialness
- peninitial
Translations
chronologically first
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spatially first
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
initial P (calligraphy)
initial (plural initials)
- The first letter of a word or a name.
- 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.
- (typography, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
- (phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
Synonyms
- (typography, calligraphy): drop cap, versal
Derived terms
- initialism
- initial teaching alphabet
Translations
first letter of a word
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first letters of a person's name as a unit
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calligraphy: distinguished initial letter
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first part of a syllable (onset)
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Verb
initial (third-person singular simple present initials, present participle initialing or initialling, simple past and past participle initialed or initialled)
- (transitive) To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
- Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.
Translations
sign one's initial(s)
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Related terms
- init
- initialize
- initiate
- initiation
- initiative
See also
- middle
Further reading
- initial in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- initial in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
- initial at OneLook Dictionary Search
French
Etymology
From Latin initiālis, from initium (“beginning”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /i.ni.sjal/
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -al
Adjective
initial (feminine initiale, masculine plural initiaux, feminine plural initiales)
- initial
Related terms
- initiale
- initialement
- initialiser
Further reading
- “initial”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
German
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /iniˈt͡sɪ̯aːl/
Audio (file)
Adjective
initial (strong nominative masculine singular initialer, not comparable)
- initial, incipient
Declension
Positive forms of initial (uncomparable)
| number & gender | singular | plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | feminine | neuter | all genders | ||
| predicative | er ist initial | sie ist initial | es ist initial | sie sind initial | |
| strong declension (without article) | nominative | initialer | initiale | initiales | initiale |
| genitive | initialen | initialer | initialen | initialer | |
| dative | initialem | initialer | initialem | initialen | |
| accusative | initialen | initiale | initiales | initiale | |
| weak declension (with definite article) | nominative | der initiale | die initiale | das initiale | die initialen |
| genitive | des initialen | der initialen | des initialen | der initialen | |
| dative | dem initialen | der initialen | dem initialen | den initialen | |
| accusative | den initialen | die initiale | das initiale | die initialen | |
| mixed declension (with indefinite article) | nominative | ein initialer | eine initiale | ein initiales | (keine) initialen |
| genitive | eines initialen | einer initialen | eines initialen | (keiner) initialen | |
| dative | einem initialen | einer initialen | einem initialen | (keinen) initialen | |
| accusative | einen initialen | eine initiale | ein initiales | (keine) initialen | |
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
From Latin initiālis.
Noun
initial m (definite singular initialen, indefinite plural initialer, definite plural initialene)
- an initial (first letter of a name)
References
- “initial” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Latin initiālis.
Noun
initial m (definite singular initialen, indefinite plural initialar, definite plural initialane)
- an initial (first letter of a name)
References
- “initial” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.