intro

intro — noun

1. the opening section of a song, an article, a film, or an event that appears befo

1.nounB1
Definition

the opening section of a song, an article, a film, or an event that appears before the main part — for example, the first few bars of a track or an article's beginning paragraphs

Example

The guitar intro to that song is only eight seconds long.

collocation: guitar intro / song intro

After a short spoken intro by the host, the band started playing.

Common collocations
  • song intro
  • guitar intro
  • piano intro
  • album intro
  • spoken intro
  • written intro
Synonyms
  • opening

    broader; can refer to the start of anything, not just a formal section

  • start

    less specific; simply where something begins, without implying a structured section

  • lead-in

    refers specifically to material that sets up what follows, common in broadcasting

Antonyms
  • outro

    informal term for the closing section of a piece of music or a broadcast

2. the first occasion on which a person encounters, learns about, or engages with a

2.nounB2
Definition

the first occasion on which a person encounters, learns about, or engages with a subject or activity — your initial taste of something new

Example

Chiara's intro to photography started with a borrowed camera.

pattern: possessive + intro to [activity]

That hiking trip was Ramón's first intro to mountain climbing.

Common collocations
  • intro to photography
  • first intro to
  • gentle intro to
  • good intro to
Synonyms
  • first taste

    more figurative; emphasises a small, initial experience that might lead to more

  • exposure

    more formal; can be passive (being exposed to something) rather than actively engaging

Grammar Patterns

possessive + intro to [activity]

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the pattern 'someone's intro to [activity/subject]'. Unlike the related 'introduction', this sense takes the informal short form even in slightly more serious contexts.

3. a course, textbook, or online resource that teaches the fundamental ideas of a s

3.nounB1
Definition

a course, textbook, or online resource that teaches the fundamental ideas of a subject to people who are new to it

Example

Lakan is taking an intro to psychology course this semester.

pattern: intro to [subject] + course

The book Intro to Statistics has helped many students pass the exam.

Common collocations
  • intro to psychology
  • intro to economics
  • intro course
  • intro class
  • online intro
Synonyms
  • survey course

    more formal; covers a broad overview of a field, not necessarily at beginner level

  • foundations

    used in course titles; emphasises the building-block nature of the content

Grammar Patterns

intro to [subject]

Usage Note

Often used as part of the title of textbooks or courses (e.g. 'Intro to Biology'). In academic contexts, the full form 'Introduction to...' is preferred for official names.

Common Mistakes

I studied intro biology last year.
I studied intro to biology last year.
the short form 'intro' needs the preposition 'to' when referring to a course.

4. the act of sharing someone's name with another person so they can get to know ea

4.nounB2
Definition

the act of sharing someone's name with another person so they can get to know each other — a short meeting of two people who have not met before

Example

David made the intro between the two researchers at the conference.

collocation: make the intro / make an intro

After a quick intro, the two designers started discussing the project.

Common collocations
  • make an intro
  • get an intro
  • need an intro
  • quick intro
  • warm intro
Synonyms
  • introduction

    the full, more formal form; 'intro' is strictly informal

  • meet-and-greet

    refers to a scheduled event for introductions, not a single act of introducing

Grammar Patterns

make an intro

get an intro to [person]

Usage Note

Common in networking and professional contexts ('Can you make an intro to your colleague?'). The phrasal verb 'introduce' is more formal; 'intro' is the casual short form used among colleagues and friends.

intro — prefix

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Intro is the informal shortening of introduction, used especially in casual speech about music (song intro), short texts, and everyday events. Introduction is the full form, suitable for any register — academic talks, book openings, formal ceremonies, or detailed explanations. A preface appears mainly in books, written by the author to explain the work's background or purpose. A preamble refers specifically to the opening statement of a legal document, constitution, or formal resolution, setting out the underlying principles. A prologue is the opening section of a play or novel, often set before the main story begins and sometimes narrated by a character. When in doubt, use introduction for formal contexts and intro for casual ones. For example: 'The CEO gave a brief introduction before the keynote speaker' vs. 'I love the piano intro of that song.'

intro ↗introduction ↗prefacepreambleprologue

Common collocations

Nouns

  • song intro
  • guitar intro
  • album intro
  • piano intro
  • course intro
  • book intro
  • film intro

Phrases

  • intro to [subject]
  • intro to [person]
  • make an intro
  • get an intro
  • need an intro

Prepositions

  • intro to
  • intro of
  • intro for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The prefix 'intro-' comes directly from Latin 'intro', an adverb meaning 'inward, within', which traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *en-ter- ('inside'). Latin borrowed this to form compound verbs like 'introducere' (to lead in) and 'introspicere' (to look into). These words entered English through French and directly from Latin from the 15th century onward. In the 1900s, the first syllable of 'introduction' was clipped off in informal speech, giving 'intro' its modern life as a standalone noun — first in music (song intros on records) and later spreading to courses, books, and social introductions.