Initial

Initial is a term with several related senses in English. As an adjective, it means occurring at the beginning of a process, sequence, or period, such as initial reactions, initial phase, or initial conditions. As a noun, it refers to the first letter of a name or word, or to the letters used to identify a person in shorthand, as in “the initials J.S.” It can also be used as a verb to mean signing a document with one's initials.

In typography and writing, an initial capital is the first letter of a paragraph or sentence and may be set in a larger or decorative form. The term “initials” also describes the set of first letters in a name, used for monograms or brand marks.

In mathematics and science, initial conditions specify the starting values of variables before a process evolves, and they determine outcomes in models and simulations. In computing, initialization or init is the process of preparing data structures or systems for use, and “to initialize” means to set starting values.

Etymology: initial comes from Latin initialis “of or pertaining to a beginning,” from initium “a beginning.” It entered English in the Middle Ages, aligning with related terms such as initial, initiative, and initiate.

Notes: The word initial can refer to both a beginning and to the letter forms that begin names and sentences. It should not be confused with initialism or acronyms, which abbreviate a phrase rather than a single word.