Wiktionary

initial

See also: inițial

English

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Etymology

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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

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  • IPA(key): /ɪˈnɪʃəl/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪʃəl

Adjective

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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.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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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

Noun

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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.
    • 1952 February, H. C. Casserley, “Permanent Wayfarings”, in Railway Magazine, page 77:
      The point of interest about this particular specimen was that it must have remained intact for at least a quarter of a century, as it had embossed in the frosted glass the initials of the old Great North of Scotland Railway in the form of a scroll, the sort of relic of pre-grouping days that can still be found here and there if one is observant.
  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.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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See also

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Verb

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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.

Translations

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See also

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Further reading

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French

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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

  1. initial
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Further reading

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German

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Pronunciation

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Adjective

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initial (strong nominative masculine singular initialer, not comparable)

  1. initial, incipient

Declension

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Positive forms of initial (uncomparable)
number & gender singular plural
masculine feminine neuter
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

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Etymology

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From Latin initiālis.

Noun

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

  1. an initial (first letter of a name)

References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology

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From Latin initiālis.

Noun

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

  1. an initial (first letter of a name)

References

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