original

uh-RIJ-i-nuhl/əˈɹɪd͡ʒɪnəl/

9 meanings of original

1
initialadjective
Existing from the beginning or earliest stage; first, or belonging to something since it was first made or built.
The original inhabitants of the valley fished these rivers for thousands of years.
Scholars still debate the original meaning of the ancient inscription.
UsageUsually before the noun: the original owner. After a verb it often describes parts of old things: the floors are original.
Similarfirst, initial, earliest
2
source copyadjective
Being the first in a series of copies or versions; not itself copied from anything earlier.
Compare each copy against the original document before filing it.
The original recording sounds warmer than any of the later remasters.
Similarinitial
Oppositeduplicate
3
own creationadjective
Newly created, rather than copied or adapted from something that already existed.
Contest rules require every entry to be original work rather than an adaptation.
The streaming service invests heavily in original programming.
Similarnew, novel, fresh
Oppositederivative, unoriginal, imitative
4
the real thingnouncountable
An authentic object or creative work made by its creator rather than copied, often serving as the model for later versions.
Like a master key: every duplicate is cut to match it.
Every print in the gallery is numbered, but the original hangs in the artist's studio.
Forgers study originals for years before attempting an imitation.
UsageOften the original of a work. In the original means in the language it was first written in: read Tolstoy in the original.
Oppositecopy, imitation, replica, forgery
5
fresh and differentadjective
Fresh and different; unlike the usual or familiar versions of something.
Critics praised the novel's original take on a familiar story.
Her style is effortlessly original, mixing thrift-store finds with formal tailoring.
UsageTakes words of degree: very original, highly original, not very original. If very fits, this is the meaning.
Similarfresh, novel, innovative, inventive, creative
Oppositeunoriginal, derivative, conventional, hackneyed
6
pioneeringadjective
Pioneering; being the first to explore an idea, method, or field.
Darwin's original work on island species reshaped the study of biology.
Her original studies of chimpanzee behavior opened a field that hundreds of researchers now pursue.
Similarpioneering, groundbreaking, innovative, seminal, inventive
Oppositeunoriginal, derivative

Less common meanings

7
adjective
Of a product variety, especially a snack food: the standard version with no added flavors, which for chips usually means seasoned only with salt.
Reviewers ranked the original pretzels above every seasoned variety.
Given the choice between barbecue and original, she always picks original.
UsageOften stands alone as the name of a flavor: barbecue or original?
Similarplain, salted
Note
A word from the snack aisle and beyond: for potato chips it usually means the plain variety seasoned with salt alone, also labeled ready salted. It names the base version that the rest of a flavored line departs from.
8
unique personnouncountable
A person who is strikingly different from others in character, ideas, or behavior, often in an eccentric way.
Grandpa was a true original, showing up to every wedding in cowboy boots and a tuxedo.
In an industry full of imitators, she remains an original.
UsageOften strengthened: a true original, a real original. It is usually praise, even when the person is odd.
Similarindividualist, eccentric, character, maverick
Oppositeconformist, imitator
Note
A compliment with a long history: Tom Brown in 1700 already longed to "be an Original" in a world where all learned men were "but Translators". Writers on creativity later turned it into a category, sorting schoolchildren into originals and unoriginals on tests of creative thinking.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
Brown's prefatory voice expresses the wish to be an Original, using the quoted wording. paperzz.com
The passage describes all learned men as translators, using the quoted wording. paperzz.com
Later writing on creativity describes schoolchildren classified as originals and unoriginals using creative-thinking tests. en.wiktionary.org
9
nounrare
A male animal, especially a horse, whose testicles have not descended; a ridgeling.

Practice

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Origin

Latin orīgō ("beginning, source, origin") gave Late Latin orīginālis ("primitive, original"), which passed into Old French and then Middle English, both as original.