Dictionary


in•i•tial



Pronunciation: (i-nish'ul), [key]
—adj., n., v., -tialed, -tial•ing or (esp. Brit.) -tialled, -tial•ling.

—adj.
1. of, pertaining to, or occurring at the beginning; first: the initial step in a process.
2. Phonet.occurring at the beginning of a word or syllable, as the (k) sound of kite, chasm, or quay.

—n.
1. an initial letter, as of a word.
2. the first letter of a proper name.
3. a letter of extra size or an ornamental character used at the beginning of a chapter or other division of a book, manuscript, or the like.

—v.t.
to mark or sign with an initial or the initials of one's name, esp. as a token of preliminary or informal approval.

Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.

initinitialism
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