ini·tial
i-ˈni-shəl 
1
: of or relating to the beginning : incipient
his initial reaction
2
: placed at the beginning : first
the initial word of the verse
initialed or initialled; initialing or initialling
i-ˈni-sh(ə-)liŋ
1
: to affix an initial to
2
: to authenticate or give preliminary approval to by affixing the initials of an authorizing representative
Synonyms
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
Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024
Every Morning—Here Are All the Benefits By Maria Goldbach
Drucker was not Breillat’s initial choice for Anne.
—Elissa Suh, Vogue, 28 June 2024
Julia Teti, WWD, 26 June 2024
Likewise students with initials earlier in the alphabet (A to E) tended to grade higher than the random sample.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 22 June 2024
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2024
Medical staff had a practice of pre-filling out the logs and then initialing them later.
—Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for initial 
Adjective
At several points, CNN moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper had to reiterate what their initial question was focused on because each candidate would dwell on a previous statement the other made.
—Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024
Every Morning—Here Are All the Benefits By Maria Goldbach
Drucker was not Breillat’s initial choice for Anne.
—Elissa Suh, Vogue, 28 June 2024
Noun
The inside of the blazer also included the initials of Sarr’s parents and his brother, adding a personal touch to his designer look.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 26 June 2024
Likewise students with initials earlier in the alphabet (A to E) tended to grade higher than the random sample.
—Alena Botros, Fortune, 22 June 2024
Verb
The document, dated March 14, was supposed to be initialed and signed in multiple places by Hamel, though investigators allege that the signature did not match the one used on police paperwork previously signed by Hamel.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2024
Medical staff had a practice of pre-filling out the logs and then initialing them later.
—Erin Glynn, The Enquirer, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for initial
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'initial.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near initial
Cite this Entry
“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initial. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
initial
1 of 3 adjective
ini·tial
in-ˈish-əl
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
initial
2 of 3 noun1
: 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
: to mark with initials or an initial
initial a handkerchief
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share