original

Universal Words adjective, noun adjective 1 [onlybeforenoun] existing at the beginning of a particular period, process or activity: The room still has many of its original features. * I think you should go back to your original plan. * At the end of the lease, the land will be returned to the original owner. * The original intention was to record about 80 speakers, divided equally between males and females. 2 new and interesting in a way that is different from anything that has existed before; able to produce new and interesting ideas: an original design / idea * That's not a very original suggestion. * an original thinker / writer / painter * the product of a highly original mind 3 [usuallybeforenoun] painted, written, etc. by the artist rather than copied: an original painting by local artist Graham Tovey * The original manuscript has been lost. * Only original documents (= not photocopies) will be accepted as proof of status. noun 1 a document, work of art, etc. produced for the first time, from which copies are later made: This painting is a copy; the original is in Madrid. * Send out the photocopies and keep the original. * At that price, you could have bought an original! 2 (formal) a person who thinks, behaves, dresses, etc. in an unusual way IDIOMS in the original in the language in which a book, etc. was first written, before being translated: I studied Italian so that I would be able to read Dante in the original.