English · Word Candidate

initial

/ɪˈnɪʃ.əl/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: initials · initialing · initialling · initialed

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Đầu tiên về mặt thời gian

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

Our initial admiration for their efficiency gave way to disgust about their methods.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Ở vị trí đầu tiên

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Adjective

Examples

The initial letter of names is usually printed with a capital letter.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The first letter of a word or a name, especially of a person's full name (their initials).

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Chữ cái đầu tiên của từ hoặc tên

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

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 sti

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

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

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

chữ cái đầu tiên được trang trí

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “initial” mean?

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

Is “initial” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.