initial
adjective
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Definition of initial
(Entry 1 of 3)
initial
nounDefinition of initial (Entry 2 of 3)
initial
verb
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Definition of initial (Entry 3 of 3)
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Other Words from initial
Adjective
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adverb
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noun
Synonyms & Antonyms for initial
Synonyms: Adjective
earliest, first, foremost, headmost, inaugural, leadoff, maiden, original, pioneer, premier, virgin
Antonyms: Adjective
final, last, latest, latter, terminal, terminating, ultimate
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Examples of initial in a Sentence
Adjective
you've resolved my initial complaint, but now I have a new questionNoun
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: Adjective
Courtesy of Delaware State Police) Ferguson's initial story to police was different from what was seen on surveillance video, according to court documents. — Isabel Hughes, USA TODAY, "Child care worker charged with killing infant who wouldn't stop crying," 6 Sep. 2019 The initial proposal included a village incentive of $3 million to fund land acquisition costs, plus any remaining costs related to environmental remediation for the north parcel. — Steve Schering, chicagotribune.com, "Developers request six-month extension for Madison Street senior facility, Pete’s Fresh Market plans," 5 Sep. 2019 As the brief initial responses via critics tweeting after early screenings signaled, the responses are mixed. — Nick Romano, EW.com, "It Chapter Two," 3 Sep. 2019 After his initial bullish response, Bolsonaro changed course. — Matt Sandy, Time, "Bearing Witness as Brazil's Amazon Burns," 1 Sep. 2019 MacGinnis was interviewed during the initial homicide investigation but police didn't make a connection, according to the Enterprise. — Fox News, "Sex offender indicted in 1988 Texas cold case murder," 29 Aug. 2019 The initial investigation shows the Chrysler may have been heading east on Farmington and the Chevrolet was heading west. — oregonlive, "Two killed in Aloha crash Wednesday evening," 28 Aug. 2019 That figure includes an initial investigation into the Trevor Colbourn Hall funding, which the university ordered last year. — Annie Martin, orlandosentinel.com, "UCF leaders transferred more than $99M in operating funds improperly, report finds," 22 Aug. 2019 Cases are considered cold when the initial investigation hits a dead-end, often times constrained by technology at the time. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Can you help solve some of Houston's most infamous cold cases?," 21 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
This week, the Navy cleared Knifefish for low rate initial production, one step short of full production. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Navy’s Mine-Hunting Drone Is Ready To Go," 27 Aug. 2019 Other planes that appear in Rodgers’ logs include a twin-engine Cessna with a tail number ending in Maxwell’s initials, GM. — Christopher Maag, USA TODAY, "New Jersey's Teterboro Airport was travel hub of Jeffrey Epstein's sex traffic ring," 16 Aug. 2019 The divorce petition bore just the estranged couple’s initials, W.S.S. and A.L.S. Other than the pair’s wedding date and a partial Social Security number, nothing else in the three-page document gave any clues as to their identities. — Patrick Danner, ExpressNews.com, "Former FBI director’s San Antonio divorce shrouded in mystery," 23 Aug. 2019 Since their initial alleged date at the Soho/Dumbo House on August 4, Gigi and Tyler were seen together several times, with paparazzi catching the duo reportedly leaving Gigi’s New York apartment separately on one occasion. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "5 Things to Know About Tyler Cameron, "The Bachelorette" Runner-Up Who Is Reportedly Hanging Out With Gigi Hadid," 17 Aug. 2019 Santino’s initials are hung on the wall next to the portrait. — Helen Murphy, PEOPLE.com, "Inside Mario Lopez's Adorable Nursery for His Newborn Son — Inspired by the Family Dog!," 16 Aug. 2019 The initials, inscribed in thin black ink, are suspected to be a tribute to Benson's girlfriend of more than a year, model and actress Cara Delevingne. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson Have Matching Tattoos of Each Other's Initials," 22 July 2019 That's because the initials by which it has been known for more than 40 years are CBD. — Alex Johnson, NBC News, "CBD not sold here: Big Christian bookseller drops its initials after brand confusion," 19 July 2019 Pictured here are the initials JE, which Epstein had mounted near the entrance. — Ben Widdicombe, Town & Country, "The Secret Plan to Rehabilitate Jeffrey Epstein's Image," 16 July 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Leaders of both teams initialed their copies and handed them to their Qatari hosts. — Peter Baker, New York Times, "How Trump’s Plan to Secretly Meet With the Taliban Came Together, and Fell Apart," 8 Sep. 2019 Earlier this month, the two sides initialed a constitutional document in the wake of international pressure and amid growing concerns the political crisis that followed al-Bashir’s ouster could ignite civil war. — Samy Magdy, BostonGlobe.com, "Sudanese protesters sign final power-sharing deal with army," 17 Aug. 2019 Earlier this month, the two sides initialed a constitutional document in the wake of international pressure and amid growing concerns the political crisis that followed al-Bashir’s ouster could ignite civil war. — Washington Post, "Sudanese protesters sign final power-sharing deal with army," 17 Aug. 2019 Both had initialed the documents earlier this month. — Samy Magdy, BostonGlobe.com, "Sudanese protesters sign final power-sharing deal with army," 17 Aug. 2019 Both had initialed the documents earlier this month. — Washington Post, "Sudanese protesters sign final power-sharing deal with army," 17 Aug. 2019 The Republic confirmed the authenticity of the postings, which are initialed, through further correspondence with the women. — Lauren Castle, azcentral, "Women incarcerated in Perryville prison use website to share their stories," 29 June 2019 The Board of Elections and Voter Registration on Tuesday rejected five ballots that would have counted during the May primary because poll workers failed to initial the filings. — Craig Lyons, Post-Tribune, "Training aims to stop poll workers' errors from disqualifying votes," 19 June 2018 Fajman said ballots not being initialed when machines fail is always an issue. — Craig Lyons, Post-Tribune, "Training aims to stop poll workers' errors from disqualifying votes," 19 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'initial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.