Meanings
alternative ab init
- lawFrom the time when a law, legal right or decree, contract, ownership interest, partnership (etc.) comes into force.First known use Early 17ᵗʰ century.
As the Act was passed without the required quorum, the constitutional court struck down the Act and declared it to be void ab initio
1 more example
Any child marriage solemnised in contravention of an injunction order issued under section 13, whether interim or final, shall be void ab initio.
2007, Parliament of India, “Section 14”, in Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, archived from the original on 15 Jul 2024, page 4 - sciencesCalculated from first principles, i.e. from basic laws without any further additional assumptions.
[…] this soul does not exist ab initio, as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation. However, this is rarely achieved, owing to man's unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia.
1983, Monty Python, The meaning of life, at about 1h 15' - Taken with no prior qualifications.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Dutch ab initio, vanaf het begin
- ab initioreferring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
- vanaf het beginreferring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
Hindi आदितः
- आदितः (āditaḥ)referring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
Polish ab initio, ab initio
- ab initioreferring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
- ab initiocalculated from first principles, i.e. from basic laws without any further additional assumptions
- ab initiotaken with no prior qualifications
Russian с возникнове́ния, от нача́ла
- с возникнове́ния (s vozniknovénija)referring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
- от нача́ла (ot načála)referring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
Spanish ab initio, desde el principio
- ab initioreferring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
- desde el principioreferring to the time from when a legal document comes into force
Cite this entry
ab initio. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ab%20initio
“ab initio.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ab%20initio. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ab initio,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ab%20initio.
Source: ab initio on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.