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Signature vs Initial - What's the difference?

signature | initial |

As nouns the difference between signature and initial

is that signature is a person’s name, written by that person, used to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract while initial is the first letter of a word or a name.

As adjectives the difference between signature and initial

is that signature is distinctive, characteristic indicative of identity while initial is chronologically first, early; of or pertaining to the beginning, cause or origin.

As a verb initial is

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

signature

Noun

(en noun)
  • A ’s name, written by that person, used to signify approval of accompanying material, such as a legal contract.
  • *
  • *:Thus, when he drew up instructions in lawyer languageunderstood him very well. If he had written a love letter, or a farce, or a ballade , or a story, no one, either clerks, or friends, or compositors, would have understood anything but a word here and a word there. For his signature , however, that was different.
  • The act of signing one's name.
  • (lb) That part of a doctor’s prescription containing directions for the patient.
  • (lb) Signs on the stave indicating key and tempo
  • (lb) A group of four (or a multiple of four) pages printed such that, when folded, become a section of a book
  • (lb) A pattern used for matching the identity of a virus, the parameter types of a method, etc.
  • (lb) Data attached to a message that guarantees that the message originated from its claimed source.
  • A mark or sign of implication.
  • *(Richard Bentley) (1662-1742)
  • *:the natural and indelible signature of God, which human souls in their first origin are supposed to be stamped with
  • *1997 : Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault'', page 67, ''The Renaissance Episteme (Totem Books, Icon Books; ISBN 1840460865)
  • *:A “signature'” was placed on all things by God to indicate their affinities — but it was hidden, hence the search for arcane knowledge. Knowing was '''guessing''' and ' interpreting , not observing or demonstrating.
  • (lb) A
  • A resemblance between the external character of a disease and those of some physical agent, for instance, that existing between the red skin of scarlet fever and a red cloth; supposed to indicate this agent in the treatment of the disease.
  • See also

    * autograph

    Adjective

    (en-adj) (unusually not comparable)
  • distinctive, characteristic indicative of identity
  • * 2001 , Lawrence J. Vale, Sam Bass Warner, Imaging the city: continuing struggles and new directions
  • Consider Las Fallas'' of Valencia, Spain, arguably the most signature''' of ' signature ephemera.
  • * 2005 , Paul Duchscherer, Linda Svendsen, Beyond the bungalow: grand homes in the arts & crafts tradition
  • Considered the most signature effect of the Tudor Revival style, half-timbering derived its distinctive ...
  • * 2005 , Brett Dawson, Tales from the 2004-05 Fighting Illini
  • But it was perhaps the most signature shot Williams ever made in an Illinois uniform, a bullying basket in which he used his power to pound Stoudamire, ...
    Rabbit in mustard sauce is my signature dish.
  • * 2005:' CBS News website, ''Paul Winchell Dead At Age 82'', read at on 14 May 2006 - The inspiration for [[w:Tigger, Tigger]’s ' signature phrase: TTFN, ta-ta for now.
  • The signature route of the airline is its daily flight between Buenos Aires and Madrid.
    ----

    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