adj., n., & v.
adj. of, existing, or occurring at the beginning (initial stage; initial expenses).
n. 1 = initial letter. 2 (usu. in pl.) the first letter or letters of the words of a (esp. a person's) name or names.
v.tr. (initialled, initialling; US initialed, initialing) mark or sign with one's initials. initial letter (or consonant) a letter or consonant at the beginning of a word. initial teaching alphabet a 44-letter phonetic alphabet used to help those beginning to read and write English. initially adv.
[ L initialis f. initium beginning f. inire init- go in ]