introduction

[ in-truh-duhk-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of introducing or the state of being introduced.
2. a formal personal presentation of one person to another or others.
3. a preliminary part, as of a book, musical composition, or the like, leading up to the main part.
4. an elementary treatise:

   an introduction to botany.

5. an act or instance of inserting.
6. something introduced.

introduction

/ ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act of introducing or fact of being introduced
2. a presentation of one person to another or others
3. a means of presenting a person to another person, group, etc, such as a letter of introduction or reference
4. a preliminary part, as of a book, speech, etc
5. music
   1. an instrumental passage preceding the entry of a soloist, choir, etc
   2. an opening passage in a movement or composition that precedes the main material
6. something that has been or is introduced, esp something that is not native to an area, country, etc
7. a basic or elementary work of instruction, reference, etc
8. logic (qualified by the name of an operation) a syntactic rule specifying the conditions under which a formula or statement containing the specified operator may be derived from others

   negation-introduction

   conjunction-introduction

Other Words From

• rein·tro·duction noun
• self-intro·duction noun
• subin·tro·duction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of introduction¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English introduccion, from Latin intrōductiōn- (stem of intrōductiō ). See introduce, -tion

Synonym Study

Introduction, foreword, preface refer to material given at the front of a book to explain or introduce it to the reader. A foreword is part of the front matter and is usually written by someone other than the author, often an authority on the subject of the book. A preface is the author's own statement, and often includes acknowledgments. It follows the foreword (if there is one) and is also part of the front matter. The introduction is always by the author. It may be extensive and is usually printed as part of the text.

Example Sentences

For goalkeeper Scurry, the introduction of the first women's football league was a direct impact of the so-called 99ers' success.

From BBC

The South Carolina Congresswoman didn’t try to hide her intentions behind the bill’s introduction, clarifying to reporters on Monday that she was targeting McBride, specifically.

From Salon

The letter calls for the government to phase in the introduction of the NI changes and delay the start of the ERC.

From BBC

Accepting the award, Curtis good-naturedly returned the sentiments of Grant’s introduction.

From Los Angeles Times

As Bruce Buffer did his introductions, Aspinall got to his feet, before Jones opened the contest with a stinging left hand.

From BBC

Related Words

• addition
• debut
• establishment
• inauguration
• influx
• initiation
• installation
• launch
• opening
• preface
• presentation

More About Introduction

What is an introduction?

The introduction is the first section of an essay. It presents, or introduces, the essay topic and includes a thesis statement.

Students are usually taught to write an essay in three parts, with the first part being the introduction, followed by the body and ending with a conclusion.

The introduction is often considered to be the most important part of the essay because it summarizes the essay’s topic and introduces the thesis statement. The thesis statement presents the specific argument the essay will make or the main point the reader should take away.

Outside of essays, introductions are also used in articles, opinion pieces, blog posts, research papers, and other types of writing to entice someone into reading the whole piece.

Why is introduction important?

The first records of the word introduction come around 1350. It ultimately comes from the Latin intrōdūcere, meaning “to lead inside.” In terms of an essay, the introduction presents the reader with the essay topic, inviting them “inside” the essay to learn more.

Teachers often tell students that an introduction should be only as long as it needs to be to do its job, which you might find frustrating and vague. A good introduction begins with a sentence that will interest the reader and entice them to read the rest of the essay, often called a hook. The hook can be an unexpected question, a shocking sentence, an interesting statistic, a powerful quote, or many other possibilities.

After the hook, you’ll want to include sentences that talk about the main points of your essay or that provide a small amount of background information a reader might need. The introduction should not go into detail about any of the points you’ll make in the body of the essay.

You’ll also include a thesis statement in your introduction, often as the last sentence. For student essays, the thesis statement usually answers the question asked by the writing prompt or presents their position on a debate or situation.

Did you know … ?

The introduction can be the hardest part of an essay to write because you have to know what you will say in the essay. When a writer is struggling with their introduction, they sometimes find that writing it after they write the body of the essay is easier.

What are real-life examples of introduction?

This slide gives a quick summary of some elements of a good introduction.

<img loading="lazy" src="https://image.slidesharecdn.com/essaystructurepresentation-091028153753-phpapp01/95/essay-writing-structure-5-728.jpg?cb=1295593559" alt="" width="728" height="546" />

Slideshare.net

Many students struggle to write good introductions, and it’s often the first thing they write for an essay.

Watch Writing INTRODUCTION Part, Essay Writing, UPSC CSE MAINS 2019, Dr Khan, KSG Indiahttps://t.co/VZmZAsZMwT

— Khan Study Group (@khanstudygroup) September 8, 2021

I find the hardest part of essay writing is getting started. Once the introduction is out of the way, things start getting a lot easier.

— Majeed Ullah (@majeed_ullah_) January 9, 2021

 

What other words are related to introduction?

• essay
• body
• conclusion
• thesis statement
• paragraph
• argument
• topic

Quiz yourself!

True or False?

The introduction is the most important part of the essay because it contains the thesis statement.