initialadj/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

• 1

  Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.

  • 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

  Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.

  • The initial letter of names is usually printed with a capital letter.
  • Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial, a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.

initialnoun/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

• 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 scroll, the sort of relic of pre-grouping days that can still be found here and there if one is observant.
• 2

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

• 3

  human-scienceslinguisticsphonologyonset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.

initialverb/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

• 1

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

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