adj. 1. Preceding all others in time; first: Who played the original Dracula? 2. a. Not derived from something else; fresh and unusual: an original play, not an adaptation. b. Showing a marked departure from previous practice; new: a truly original approach. See Synonyms at new. 3. Productive of new things or new ideas; inventive: an original mind. 4. Being the source from which a copy, reproduction, or translation is made. n. 1. A first form or model from which others are made or developed: Later versions of the car retained key features of the original. 2. a. An authentic work of art: bought an original, not a print. b. A work that has been composed firsthand or used to make a copy, reproduction, or translation: kept the original but sent a photocopy to his publisher. 3. a. A person with a creative or unusual personality. b. A person who is appealingly odd or curious; a character. 4. Archaic The source from which something arises; an originator. |
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