originally

adverb

orig·​i·​nal·​ly ə-ˈri-jə-nᵊl-ē 

-ˈrij-nə-lē, 

-ˈri-jən-

1

archaic : by origin or derivation : inherently

2

: in the beginning : in the first place : initially

3

: in a fresh or original manner

Synonyms of originally

• initially
• primarily

Examples of originally in a Sentence

That van originally belonged to us.

The building was originally a school.

They originally planned to fix their old car, but they decided to buy a new one instead.

Originally, the word had a very different meaning from its current meaning.

a New Yorker who is originally from Mexico

She has shown an ability to think originally about ways to improve the company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Believed to originally come from Burgundy, these savory choux pastries are commonly made with grated Gruyère, but Comté or Emmentaler work just as well. —Saveur Editors, Saveur, 19 Dec. 2025

California’s utility regulator on Thursday voted to approve the portion of revenue that Pacific Gas and Electric can use to compensate investors, a figure that was lower than what the company originally requested but higher than the amount advocacy groups had called for. —Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 19 Dec. 2025

The call originally came in as a shooting at the casino across the street, but officers quickly found the bloody scene at the gas station. —Mike Hellgren, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025

New schools being built The two older schools being replaced by new buildings through the bond funds are Greenwood Elementary, originally constructed in 1910, and Hazel Grove Elementary, built in 1940. —Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 18 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

originally

adverb

orig·​i·​nal·​ly ə-ˈrij-ən-ᵊl-ē 

-nəl-ē

1

: in the beginning : in the first place

2

: in an original manner