original

American  

[uh-rij-uh-nl] / əˈrɪdʒ ə nl /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the origin or beginning of something, or to a thing at its beginning.

   The book still has its original binding.

   Synonyms:

   primitive, primeval, primordial, primary

2. new; fresh; inventive; novel.

   an original way of advertising.

3. arising or proceeding independently of anything else.

   an original view of history.

4. capable of or given to thinking or acting in an independent, creative, or individual manner.

   an original thinker.

5. created, undertaken, or presented for the first time.

   to give the original performance of a string quartet.

6. being something from which a copy, a translation, or the like is made.

   The original document is in Washington.

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noun

• originals
  plural

1. a primary form or type from which varieties are derived.

   Synonyms:

   model, prototype, pattern, archetype

   Antonyms:

   copy

2. an original work, writing, or the like, as opposed to any copy or imitation.

   The original of this is in the British Museum.

3. the person or thing represented by a picture, description, etc..

   The original is said to have been the painter's own house.

4. a person whose ways of thinking or acting are original.

   In a field of brilliant technicians he is a true original.

5. Archaic. an eccentric person.

6. Archaic. a source of being; an author or originator.

original British  

/ əˈrɪdʒɪnəl /

adjective

1. of or relating to an origin or beginning

2. fresh and unusual; novel

3. able to think of or carry out new ideas or concepts

4. being that from which a copy, translation, etc, is made

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noun

1. the first and genuine form of something, from which others are derived

2. a person or thing used as a model in art or literature

3. a person whose way of thinking is unusual or creative

4. an unconventional or strange person

5. the first form or occurrence of something

6. an archaic word for originator See originator

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonoriginal
  adjective
• preoriginal
  adjective
• quasi-original
  adjective
• unoriginal
  adjective
• nonoriginally
  adverb
• preoriginally
  adverb
• quasi-originally
  adverb
• unoriginally
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• originals
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of original

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin orīginālis (adjective) and Medieval Latin orīgināle “original document” (noun use of neuter adjective), equivalent to orīgin- “beginning, source” + -ālis adjective suffix; see origin, -al ¹

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Explanation

When you buy a car from its original owner, you know it's only been owned by one person. Original means "the very first." Original comes from the Latin word originem, which means "beginning or birth." Whether you're using it as an adjective to describe something that is literally the very first, or as a noun meaning something that serves as a model for making copies, original means "first." Even when you describe an original idea, meaning "something fresh or unusual," you're talking about the first idea of its kind.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

original originals

He said the original article allowed people to quickly work out where he was holidaying, and included an image of his wife.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

The median outcome for a retiree using this strategy in Capital Group’s simulation is retaining about 74% of the original balance if accounting for required minimum distributions, and more than 100% without accounting for them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

He played alongside David Foster in the band for the original “Rocky Horror” stage show and took a job once held by Barry Manilow to serve as Bette Midler’s musical director.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

“If the hazard ratio is really favorable, and we see this massive benefit,” Olson said, “that would suggest that this could be successful, just like we saw with the original immunotherapy studies.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

But this, the original stage, the dress circle, the giant chandelier set with a Star of David and made to resemble the sky at twilight...there was nothing like it.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

He pointed to this year’s surprise hits “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” two low-budget originals that drew big crowds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Elements drawn from these poems have fed Wagner’s operas and Marvel movies, but the originals are brighter and at times unsettlingly alien.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Axel Scheffler said AI pictures are "a breach of copyright" and lose their charm when compared to the hand-drawn originals.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

Blue Note Records released her breakthrough solo LP, 1993’s “Blue Light ‘Til Dawn,” a mix of originals and covers of work by blues pioneer Robert Johnson and folk singers Van Morrison and Joni Mitchell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

In Peking, in the 1670s, Ferdinand Verbiest, a Jesuit astronomer, was able to build instruments based on his designs without ever having seen Brahe’s originals.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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Related Words

• creative
• imaginative
• innovative
• inventive
• seminal
• unconventional
• unusual

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