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Provisionary vs Initial - What's the difference?

provisionary | initial |

As adjectives the difference between provisionary and initial

is that provisionary is provisional 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.

provisionary

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • provisional
  • *{{quote-news, year=2009, date=July 29, author=David Streitfeld, title=Recovery Signs in Housing Market Stir Some Hope, work=New York Times citation
  • , passage=The good news in the Case-Shiller index, the most widely watched source of price information about the housing market, is equally provisionary . }}

    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