original

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Existing first, before any copies or changes were made.

   This is a copy; the original painting hangs in the museum.

2. 2
   adj

   New and not copied from anything else; inventive.

   The paper contains some genuinely original ideas.

3. 3
   noun

   The first version of something, from which copies are made.

   Always keep the original and file a copy.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Original, recorded from the late Middle English period, ultimately shares its origin with Latin oriri, meaning “to rise.” This root also underlies Orient, whose name evokes the rising sun in the east.

From Middle English original, from Old French original, from Late Latin orīginālis (“primitive, original”), from Latin orīgō (“beginning, source, origin”); see origin.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary