initialize

English

Alternative forms

• initialise (non-Oxford British English)

Etymology

From initial +‎ -ize.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈnɪʃəlaɪz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

initialize (third-person singular simple present initializes, present participle initializing, simple past and past participle initialized) (American spelling, Oxford British English)

1. To assign initial values to something.
2. (computing) To assign an initial value to a variable.
3. (computing) To format a storage medium prior to use.
4. (computing) To prepare any hardware (such as a printer or scanner) for use.
5. (somewhat dated) To reduce (a phrase) to an initialism, or a word to its initial.

Derived terms

• deinitialize
• initializable
• initialization
• initializer
• noninitialized
• preinitialize
• reinitialize
• uninitialize
• uninitialized

Translations

to assign initial values to something

Bulgarian: инициализирам (inicializiram) Catalan: inicialitzar (ca) Czech: inicializovat Dutch: initialiseren (nl) Finnish: asettaa alkuarvo French: initialiser (fr) German: initialisieren (de) Greek: αρχικοποιώ (archikopoió) Hungarian: inicializál Norwegian: initialisere Polish: inicjalizować (pl) Portuguese: inicializar (pt) Russian: инициализи́ровать (ru) impf or pf (inicializírovatʹ) Turkish: ilklendirmek Welsh: ymgychwyn

to assign an initial value to a variable

Bulgarian: инициализирам (inicializiram) Catalan: inicialitzar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 初始化 (zh) (chūshǐhuà) Czech: inicializovat Finnish: alustaa (fi), asettaa alkuarvo French: initialiser (fr) German: initialisieren (de) Greek: αρχικοποιώ f (archikopoió) Hebrew: אִתְחֵל (itkhél) Hungarian: inicializál Icelandic: frumstilla, frumgilda Japanese: 初期化する (ja) (しょきかする, shokika suru) Maori: arawhiti, whakaarawhiti Polish: inicjalizować (pl) Portuguese: inicializar (pt) Romanian: a inițializa Russian: инициализи́ровать (ru) impf or pf (inicializírovatʹ) Spanish: inicializar (es)

to format a storage medium prior to use

Bulgarian: форматирам (formatiram) Catalan: inicialitzar (ca) Danish: initialisere Finnish: alustaa (fi), formatoida (fi) German: initialisieren (de) Greek: αρχικοποιώ (archikopoió) Romanian: formata, inițializa Russian: инициализи́ровать (ru) impf or pf (inicializírovatʹ)

to prepare any hardware for use

Catalan: inicialitzar (ca) Finnish: alustaa (fi) German: initialisieren (de) Maori: arawhiti Russian: настра́ивать (ru) impf (nastráivatʹ), настро́ить (ru) impf (nastróitʹ)