initial
initial Lexical Profile
initial Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Existing or occurring at the beginning of a process, event, or period of time.
"My initial impression of the software was overwhelmingly positive."
Placed at the beginning of a word or syllable.
"In the word 'knight', the initial consonant is silent."
• noun
The first letter of a word or a person's name, often used in the plural to represent a full name.
"She had her initials embroidered onto the cuff of her shirt."
An enlarged or decorative capital letter set at the beginning of a chapter, paragraph, or page in a manuscript or book.
"The medieval manuscript featured an ornate gilded initial at the start of every chapter."
• verb
To mark or sign a document or item with the first letters of one's name in order to authorize, validate, or acknowledge it.
"Please initial the bottom of each page before signing the final agreement."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an adjective, 'initial' is used strictly in the attributive position before a noun (e.g., 'the initial reaction') and cannot be used predicatively after a linking verb.
• Rhymes for initial
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 16th century from Middle French or directly from Latin initialis ('of the beginning'), from initium ('beginning, entrance'), derived from inire ('to go in, enter, begin').