Introductory

How to spell introductory

12 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce introductory

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does introductory mean?

1. adjectiveServing as a first introduction to a subject, activity, or arrangement; preliminary or beginning.

Introductory in a sentence

• The bank offered an introductory rate that rose sharply after six months.

• She signed up for an introductory course in accounting before the advanced module.

Where does introductory come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word descends from the Latin introductorius, an adjective meaning 'serving to lead in', which was built on the verb introducere 'to bring or lead inside'. That verb joins intro-, meaning 'inward' or 'within', to ducere, the everyday Latin verb 'to lead', the same root that gives us 'conduct', 'produce', and 'duke'. The sense developed naturally: something introductory leads you into a subject, an event, or a relationship for the first time. English took the word in during the 1500s, shaping the Latin ending into the familiar -ory adjective form. The spelling trap lives in that ending, since fluent writers often hesitate between -ory and -ary; remembering the buried verb 'introduce' keeps the first part steady, and noting that it ends like 'directory' and 'satisfactory' fixes the rest.

How the word is built

• intro- (inward, within)
• duc (from Latin ducere: to lead)
• -tory (adjective suffix)