original

[ uh-rij-uh-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: primeval, primordial, primitive, 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.

noun

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

/ 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

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 Words From

• nono·rigi·nal adjective noun
• nono·rigi·nal·ly adverb
• preo·rigi·nal adjective
• preo·rigi·nal·ly adverb
• quasi-o·rigi·nal adjective
• quasi-o·rigi·nal·ly adverb
• uno·rigi·nal adjective
• uno·rigi·nal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of original¹

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; origin, -al ¹

Example Sentences

It is believed some of the jewels in the necklace sold on Wednesday were the original ones at the centre of the "affair of the diamond necklace" scandal in the 1780s, that may have hastened Marie Antoinette's demise.

From BBC

Jewels from the original, which was set with 650 diamonds and weighed around 2,800 carats, were sold piecemeal on the black market.

From BBC

That was, after all, Crusius’ original gambit.

From Salon

The film didn’t even return key original cast members like Hunt or Bill Paxton, though there are callbacks to the original “Twister.”

From Los Angeles Times

The Eddie Murphy-led “Coming 2 America” — which came in 2021, 33 years after the original — brought back many of its cast members but was limited to a streaming audience after its original theatrical distributor, Paramount Pictures, sold the film to Prime Video due to the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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