initial

1 of 3

adjective

ini·​tial i-ˈni-shəl How to pronounce initial (audio)
Synonyms of initial
1
: of or relating to the beginning : incipient
his initial reaction
2
: placed at the beginning : first
the initial word of the verse
initialness
i-ˈni-shəl-nəs How to pronounce initial (audio)
noun

initial

2 of 3

noun

1
a
: the first letter of a name
b
initials plural : the first letter of each word in a full name
found that their initials were identical
2
: a large letter beginning a text or a division or paragraph
3
: anlage, precursor
specifically : a meristematic cell

initial

3 of 3

verb

initialed or initialled; initialing or initialling i-ˈni-sh(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce initial (audio)

transitive verb

1
: to affix an initial to
2
: to authenticate or give preliminary approval to by affixing the initials of an authorizing representative

Synonyms of initial

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of initial in a Sentence

Adjective you've resolved my initial complaint, but now I have a new question Noun President Franklin D. Roosevelt's middle initial stood for “Delano.” She put her initials on each page of the contract. The initials F.D.R. stood for “Franklin Delano Roosevelt.” Verb She initialed each page of the contract.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The initial slate covers crime, action, thriller, horror, romance and drama titles. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 July 2026 The west London club will receive an initial fee of £18million ($24m), with £6m due in potential add-ons. — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 4 July 2026
Noun
The victims have only been referred to by their initials in court documents. — ABC News, 2 July 2026 Marc Andreesen and Ben Horowitz are co-founders and partners of the venture capital firm that bears their initials. — Eric Lau, Washington Post, 25 June 2026
Verb
The lawyer tells you to initial every page. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 31 Aug. 2025 Then it’s initialed or signed in a different colored ink so people can’t knock ‘em off. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for initial

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French iniciel, from Latin initialis, from initium beginning, from inire to go into, from in- + ire to go — more at issue entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of initial was in 1526

Phrases Containing initial

Rhymes for initial

See All Rhymes for initial

Browse Nearby Words

in isolation
initial
initial coin offering
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initial. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

initial

1 of 3 adjective
ini·​tial in-ˈish-əl How to pronounce initial (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or existing at the beginning : earliest
initial stages of a disease
2
: placed or standing at the beginning : first
the initial letter of a word
initially
-ˈish-(ə-)lē How to pronounce initial (audio)
adverb

initial

2 of 3 noun
1
: a first letter of a name
2
: a large letter beginning a text or paragraph

initial

3 of 3 verb
initialed or initialled; initialing or initialling -ˈish-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce initial (audio)
: to mark with initials or an initial
initial a handkerchief

More from Merriam-Webster on initial

Nglish: Translation of initial for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about initial

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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