initial
verb
initialed or initialled; initialing or initialling
i-ˈni-sh(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to affix an initial to
2
: to authenticate or give preliminary approval to by affixing the initials of an authorizing representative
Examples of initial in a Sentence
She initialed each page of the contract.
Recent Examples on the Web
Before the contracts reach Noem, they must be approved by a series of political appointees, who each sign or initial a checklist sometimes referred to internally as a routing sheet.
—
Joshua Kaplan, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
While Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed agreements affirming their commitment to sign a peace treaty, only their foreign ministers have initialed the text of the treaty.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
The text of the treaty was initialed by foreign ministers, which indicates preliminary approval.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
At the recent summit in Anchorage, Alaska, with Trump, the Russian foreign minister arrived wearing a sweater emblazoned with the logo CCCP, the Cyrillic initials for the Soviet Union.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
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Joshua Kaplan, ProPublica, 24 Mar. 2026
While Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed agreements affirming their commitment to sign a peace treaty, only their foreign ministers have initialed the text of the treaty.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 10 Feb. 2026
The text of the treaty was initialed by foreign ministers, which indicates preliminary approval.
—Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
At the recent summit in Anchorage, Alaska, with Trump, the Russian foreign minister arrived wearing a sweater emblazoned with the logo CCCP, the Cyrillic initials for the Soviet Union.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Cite this Entry
“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initial. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
initial
1 of 3 adjective
ini·tial
in-ˈish-əl
1
: of, relating to, or existing at the beginning : earliest
initial stages of a disease
2
: placed or standing at the beginning : first
the initial letter of a word
initial
2 of 3 noun1
: a first letter of a name
2
: a large letter beginning a text or paragraph
initial
3 of 3 verb
initialed or initialled; initialing or initialling
-ˈish-(ə-)liŋ
: to mark with initials or an initial
initial a handkerchief
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