"Initial" refers to the first letter of a person's name or a word. It is often used to represent an individual's identity, such as in signatures or initials on documents. For example, the initials of John Smith would be "J.S." Initials can also be used to abbreviate longer names or titles for convenience. In a broader context, "initial" can describe something that occurs at the beginning of a process or event. For instance, an initial meeting might be the first gathering to discuss a project. This term helps to distinguish the starting point from subsequent developments or stages.