The difference between Beginning and Initial

When used as nouns, beginning means the act of doing that which begins anything, whereas initial means the first letter of a word or a name.

When used as adjectives, beginning means of or relating to the first portion of some extended thing, whereas initial means chronologically first, early.

Initial is also verb with the meaning: to sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.

check bellow for the other definitions of Beginning and Initial

  1. Beginning as a noun (uncountable):

    The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states.

  2. Beginning as a noun:

    That which is begun; a rudiment or element.

  3. Beginning as a noun:

    That which begins or originates something; the first cause.

  4. Beginning as a noun:

    The initial portion of some extended thing.

    Examples:

    "The author describes the main character's youth at the beginning of the story."

    "That house is at the beginning of the street."

  1. Beginning as a verb:

    Examples:

    "He is beginning to read a new book."

  1. Beginning as an adjective (informal):

    Of or relating to the first portion of some extended thing.

    Examples:

    "in the beginning paragraph of the chapter"

    "in the beginning section of the course"

  1. Initial as an adjective:

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

    Examples:

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

    "The initial stages of a syndrome may differ vastly from the final symptoms."

  2. Initial as an adjective:

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

    Examples:

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

  1. Initial as a noun:

    The first letter of a word or a name.

  2. Initial as a noun:

    In plural, the first letter of each word of a person's full name considered as a unit.

    Examples:

    "You can get your initials printed at the top."

  3. Initial as a noun (typesetting, calligraphy):

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

  4. Initial as a noun (phonology):

    onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.

  1. Initial as a verb (transitive):

    To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.

    Examples:

    "Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom."

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