Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ab initio

/ˌæb ɪˈnɪʃ.i.oʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.23 in modern English

Syllables: ab -i-ni-tio
IPA: /ˌæb ɪˈnɪʃ.i.oʊ/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

4

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adv

From the time when a law, legal right or decree, contract, ownership interest, partnership (etc.) comes into force.

adv

Calculated from first principles, i.e. from basic laws without any further additional assumptions.

adv

Taken with no prior qualifications.

Example Sentences

"As the Act was passed without the required quorum, the constitutional court struck down the Act and declared it to be void ab initio"
"Any child marriage solemnised in contravention of an injunction order issued under section 13, whether interim or final, shall be void ab initio."
"[…] this soul does not exist ab initio, as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation. However, this is rarely achieved, owing to man's unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia."

Etymology

From Latin ab (“from”) + initiō, ablative singular of initium (“beginning”).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: ab

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌæb ɪˈnɪʃ.i.oʊ/

Inflected Forms

ab init (alternative)

Synonyms

initially at first

Questions

How do you pronounce ab initio?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌæb ɪˈnɪʃ.i.oʊ/.
What does ab initio mean?: From the time when a law, legal right or decree, contract, ownership interest, partnership (etc.) comes into force.
Where does ab initio come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce ab initio

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