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Glite Dictionary
⏮️ From the start ⚖️ At the beginning
in initio

in initio

9.9
From the very beginning
  • idiom
  • /ɪn ɪˈnɪʃioʊ/
  • Literature
translation icon : desde el principio
  • Philosophers often debate what existed in initio before the universe began.

Examples

  • The contract was considered void in initio due to a legal error.

  • The author explained that, in initio, the characters were unaware of their fate.

  • The contract was void in initio.

  • The agreement was deemed invalid in initio.

  • The judge ruled that the agreement was void in initio because it lacked proper signatures.

  • The author noted that in initio, the themes of loss and redemption were evident in the story.

  • In legal terminology, a contract may be considered invalid in initio if it violates statutory requirements.

Synonyms

at first
vsin initio
984 1.0

In the beginning before things change

refers to something true from the very start rather than a temporary early state
initially
vsin initio
395 3.2

At first, before things change

is the more formal or literary expression for the same initial time
to begin with
vsin initio
274 2.3

At the start before anything else happens

focuses on origin of an action rather than introducing a list or argument
in the beginning
vsin initio
246 1.4

At the start of something

marks the very first moment or outset rather than the wider early stage
from the get-go
vsin initio
  • Informal
52 6.6

Right from the very start

is more formal and literary in tone than this colloquial phrase
from the word go
vsin initio
  • Informal
3 5.3

From the very beginning of something

is more formal and literary in tone than this ordinary phrase
ab initio
vsin initio
  • Formal
9.9

From the beginning

is used especially in formal or literary contexts

Antonyms

in the end
790 1.0

Finally, after everything has been thought about

afterward
  • US
204 1.1

At a later time

How Early

from the get-go
  • Informal
52 6.6
in initio
  • Literature
9.9
initially
395 3.2
at first
984 1.0

Surface Forms

in initio positive

Morphology

in + initio

Compositionally 'in' + 'initio' yields 'in the beginning' and thus the meaning 'from the start', so if a learner truly knows the Latin noun 'initio' the sense is derivable. However, 'initio' is a Latin, non‑native lexical item and the phrase is a specialized, fossilized legalism, so an average B1 learner (even knowing 'in') is unlikely to recognize or generalize the register‑specific use without prior exposure.

Etymology

In initio is a Latin phrase that literally means 'in the beginning', like the very first line of a book. So, people use it to say something happened or was true 'from the very beginning'.