initial

1. 1

   Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.not-comparable

   • 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.
2. 2

   Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.not-comparable

   • The initial letter of names is usually printed with a capital letter.

syn. incipient · inceptive · opening · beginning · commencing · earliest · first · initial · maiden · nascent · original · primary

ant. final · eternal

1. 1

   The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).

   • 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
2. 2

   A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.

3. 3

   onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.

syn. drop cap · versal

1. 1

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

   • Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.