What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Immediate vs Initial - What's the difference?

immediate | initial |

As adjectives the difference between immediate and initial

is that immediate is ; immediate (without delay) while initial is chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.

As a noun initial is

the first letter of a word or a name.

As a verb initial is

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

immediate

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Happening right away, instantly, with no delay.
  • * Shakespeare
  • Assemble we immediate council.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=19 citation , passage=When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.}}
  • Very close; direct or adjacent.
  • * Shakespeare
  • You are the most immediate to our throne.
  • Manifestly true; requiring no argument.
  • embedded as part of the instruction itself, rather than stored elsewhere (such as a register or memory location)
  • Derived terms

    * immediately

    Anagrams

    * ----

    initial

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.
  • :
  • :
  • *{{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=19 citation , passage=Meanwhile Nanny Broome was recovering from her initial panic and seemed anxious to make up for any kudos she might have lost, by exerting her personality to the utmost. She took the policeman's helmet and placed it on a chair, and unfolded his tunic to shake it and fold it up again for him.}}
  • Spatially first, placed at the beginning, in the first position; especially said of the first letter of a word.
  • :
  • *
  • *:Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer language, he expressed the important words by an initial , a medial, or a final consonant, and made scratches for all the words between; his clerks, however, understood him very well.
  • Synonyms

    * incipient * opening

    Antonyms

    * final

    Derived terms

    * initially * initialness

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The first letter of a word or a name.
  • In plural, the first letter of each word of a person's full name considered as a unit
  • You can get your initials printed at the top.
  • (typesetting, calligraphy) A distinguished initial letter of a chapter or section of a document.
  • (phonology) onset, part of a syllable that precedes the syllable nucleus in phonetics and phonology.
  • Synonyms

    * drop cap, versal

    Derived terms

    * initialism * initial teaching alphabet

    Verb

  • To sign one's initial(s), as an abbreviated signature.
  • Please initial each page and sign the contract in full at the bottom.

    See also

    * middle