Meaning & use
initialled
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“initialled” is a form of “initial”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitiveBritish
Wrote your initials on a document to show you have seen, approved, or agreed to it.
Grammar: Takes an object: initialled the page. The base form is 'initial'; American spelling is 'initialed'.
Patterns
- initialled something
- initialled a page/document
- initialled and dated something
She initialled each page of the contract before signing it.
The manager initialled the invoice to show it had been checked.
He initialled the amendment in the margin.
adjectivebefore a nounBritish
Having someone's initials written on it, especially as a mark of approval or ownership.
Grammar: Comes before a noun: an initialled copy. The American spelling is 'initialed'.
Patterns
- an initialled copy
- an initialled document
Please return the initialled copy to the office.
She kept an initialled handkerchief as a souvenir.
Word forms
| base form | initial |
|---|---|
| third person singular | initials |
| past tense | initialled |
| past participle | initialled |
| -ing form | initialling |
Common combinations
- initialled and dated
- The form must be initialled and dated by the applicant.
- initialled copy
- Keep the initialled copy for your records.
- initialled by
- The changes were initialled by both parties.
Synonyms and how they differ
- signed
- A full signature, usually your whole name; initialled means only your initials.
- marked
- More general and can mean any kind of mark, not specifically initials.
Word family
Commonly confused: initialled or initials?
initialled vs initials
The plural noun for the letters themselves; 'initialled' is the verb form meaning you wrote them.
Practice
The buyer ______ each page of the agreement before signing.
Choose one answer.
The past tense 'initialled' fits the past-time sentence. 'Initials' is a plural noun, 'initial' is the base form, and 'initialing' is not the correct British -ing spelling (it is 'initialling').
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “initialled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.