original
original — adjective
- originalpositive
- more originalcomparative
- most originalsuperlative
1. present from the start, or part of the first version before anything was changed
present from the start, or part of the first version before anything was changed
We kept the house's original wooden floor under the new carpet.
original + noun for earliest form
The map shows the original road before the airport was built.
original road before later change
Mia found the original recipe in her grandmother's old notebook.
original recipe
Engineers returned to the original plan after the test failed.
return to the original plan
Only one wall from the original school building still stands.
- original plan
- original form
- original recipe
- original building
Grammar Patterns
original plan
original form
original recipe
Usage Note
Usually before a noun, especially with words like plan, form, owner, or version. Distinguish from sense 2: here the focus is on the first state of something, not on whether it is genuine.
Common Mistakes
2. made by the artist, writer, or designer themself, rather than taken from a copy
made by the artist, writer, or designer themself, rather than taken from a copy or imitation
The museum locked the original painting in a cool, dark room.
original painting
Riko bought a print because the original woodcut cost too much.
original contrasted with print
The gallery showed the original sketch beside three later copies.
original sketch beside copies
We studied the original film reel, not the online copy.
original film reel
At the sale, only one bronze statue was original; the rest were copies.
- original painting
- original sketch
- original manuscript
- original recording
Grammar Patterns
original painting
original sketch
original recording
Usage Note
Common with works of art, documents, films, and designs. Distinguish from sense 1: an original painting can be old or new; the key point here is that it is the real work, not a copy.
Common Mistakes
3. fresh and unlike what people have seen before, often showing independent ideas
fresh and unlike what people have seen before, often showing independent ideas
Nina's original idea turned an old bus into a tiny library.
original idea
Her dress looked original because she mixed silk with old jeans.
be original after linking verb
The chef's original menu used local fruit in every dish.
original menu
Even after years abroad, Ken still writes in an original style.
original style
That ad felt original, not like the usual phone commercials.
- original idea
- original style
- original design
- original voice
- ordinary
suggests nothing especially new or interesting
- predictable
used when something feels expected rather than fresh
Grammar Patterns
original idea
be original
original style
Usage Note
Often follows a linking verb, as in be original, or appears before nouns like idea, style, or voice. Distinguish from sense 1: an original plan often means the first plan, while an original idea usually means a creative and unusual one.
Common Mistakes
original — noun
- originalsingular
- originalsplural
1. the item, recording, document, or text from which later copies are produced
the item, recording, document, or text from which later copies are produced
Please sign the copy and leave the original with the front desk.
the original and the copy
The lawyer asked for the original, not a photo on my phone.
ask for the original
After scanning the letter, Omar put the original back in the box.
put the original back
The studio lost the original, so only digital copies remain.
lose the original
At school, the teacher checked the original against the photocopy.
- keep the original
- send the original
- lose the original
- original document
- source
a broad word for the thing something else comes from
- master
often used for the main recording or file used to make copies
- master copy
more explicit when there are many later copies
Grammar Patterns
keep the original
send the original
the original and the copy
Usage Note
Often contrasted directly with copy, print, scan, or photocopy. Common in office, legal, school, and media contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. a work by a known artist or designer that is genuine rather than copied by anoth
a work by a known artist or designer that is genuine rather than copied by another person
The dealer claimed the small drawing was a Picasso original.
artist name + original
Her aunt keeps one original by the door and copies upstairs.
one original and copies
The buyer paid extra because the ring was a designer original.
designer original
At the show, two originals sold before lunch.
plural originals
That museum rarely lends out its originals to small galleries.
- a Picasso original
- designer original
- museum originals
- sell originals
- original work
a clear neutral phrase for the genuine piece
- authentic piece
stresses that the work is genuine
- masterpiece
only fits when the work is especially admired, not for every original
- copy
the general opposite for a work made from the real piece
- reproduction
often used for an intentional copy of a work of art
Grammar Patterns
a Picasso original
designer original
sell originals
Usage Note
Usually countable and common after an artist's or designer's name. Distinguish from noun sense 1: this sense is for valued creative works, not everyday documents, files, or recordings.
Common Mistakes
3. the first language or wording of a text, used especially in the phrase in the or
the first language or wording of a text, used especially in the phrase in the original
Lena read the poems in the original during her train ride.
phrase: in the original
Our teacher played the film in the original with Chinese subtitles.
film in the original
Few students can enjoy this play in the original yet.
enjoy a play in the original
Reading the novel in the original helped Maya hear the writer's rhythm.
read a novel in the original
At college, Ben chose to study Homer in the original.
- read in the original
- watch in the original
- study in the original
- quote in the original
- original text
focuses on the first wording of the work
- source text
common in translation contexts for the text a translation comes from
- original language
stresses the language rather than the exact wording
- translation
the usual opposite when a work is read in another language
Grammar Patterns
read in the original
watch in the original
study in the original
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the phrase in the original. It refers to the language or wording first used by the writer, not to a physical object like noun sense 1.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- originnounB1
- originallyadverbB1
- originateverbC1
- originalitynounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
In sense 1, original stresses that something belongs to the beginning or first form before later changes. First is broader and can simply mean number one in time or order. Initial is more formal and often fits first stages, reactions, or letters. Earliest focuses only on time, not on whether later versions followed. Primary usually means main or most important, so it often points to a different idea. You can talk about the original plan of a park, the first train of the day, an initial reply from the bank, and the earliest photo in the family album. Say the primary reason when importance matters more than time.
Common collocations
Nouns
- original plan
- original painting
- original idea
- original document
Phrases
- back to the original
- compare with the original
- in the original
Etymology
Original came into English through Old French from Latin originalis, a word linked to origo, meaning beginning or source. That history helps explain why original can mean both belonging to the first form of something and being the source from which copies are made.