Lat. From the beginning; from the first act; entirely; as to all the acts done; in the inception. A party may be said to be a trespasser, an estate to be good, an agreement or deed to be void, or a marriage or act to be unlawful, ab initio. Plow. 6a, 16a; 1 Bl.Comm. 440; Hopkins v. Hopkins, 10 Johns. (N.Y.) 369
Before. Contrasted in this sense with ex pos facto, 2 Shars.Bla.Comm. 308; or with postea, Calvinus, Lex., initium.
Validity of insurance policy ab initio, In re Millers’ & Manufacturers’ Ins. Co., 97 Minn. 98, 106 N.W. 485; Unconstitutional statute as not void ab initio, State v. Poulin, 105 Me. 224, 74 A. 119, 24 L.R.A.,N.S., 408; physical incapacity, marriage not void ab initio, Bennett v. Bennett, 16 Ala. 618, 53 So. 986, L.R.A.1916C, 693