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initial

Definition of initial

[attributive]

existing or occurring at the beginning:our initial impression was favourable
(of a letter) at the beginning of a word: the witness was identified simply by an initial letter initial consonants

(usually initials)

the first letter of a name or word, typically a person’s given name or a word forming part of a phrase:they carved their initials into the desktops

[with object]

mark or sign (a document) with one’s initials in order to authorize or validate it: the man initialled the three warrants see that your client initials all alterations
agree to or ratify (a treaty or contract) by signing it: Greece and the United States initialled a new defence cooperation agreement

Origin:

early 16th century: from Latin initialis, from initium 'beginning', from inire 'go in', from in- 'into' + ire 'go'

Double the l when adding endings which begin with a vowel to words which end in a vowel plus l (as in travel): (initials, initialling, initialled).

Definition of initial in the US English dictionary

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