The meaning of ORIGINAL is of, relating to, or constituting an origin or beginning : initial. How to use original in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Original. Someone who is an original behaves or speaks in a way that is not like other people. The original plans have been changed. Our teacher said we’d better come up with something original. An original piece of work, such as a painting or drawing, is produced by the artist or writer and is not a copy. Original definition: belonging or pertaining to the origin or beginning of something, or to a thing at its beginning.. See examples of ORIGINAL used in a sentence. You use original when referring to something that existed at the beginning of a process or activity, or the characteristics that something had when it began or was made. 1. belonging or pertaining to the origin or beginning of something. 2. arising or proceeding independently; inventive; novel: an original idea. 3. capable of or given to thinking or acting in an independent, creative, or individual manner: an original thinker. Pertaining to the origin or beginning; initial; primal; first in order; preceding all others: as, the original state in which man was created; the original edition of a book. arising or proceeding independently of anything else: an original view of history. capable of or given to thinking or acting in an independent, creative, or individual manner: an original thinker. Jul 21, 2025 · original (comparative more original, superlative most original) (not comparable) Relating to the origin or beginning; preceding all others. quotations ORIGINAL meaning: 1 : happening or existing first or at the beginning; 2 : made or produced first not a copy, translation, etc. Original definition: not derived from something else. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "original character", "original creation", "original version".