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

• 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

In the appropriation on Wednesday, the Board of Supervisors tapped on Measure W, a ballot measure originally billed as funding for homelessness, to provide funding to various immigration groups. —Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 17 Oct. 2025

This article was originally published on Undark. —JSTOR Daily, 17 Oct. 2025

The emergency center had originally opened in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Martissant in 2006, but was forced to move to Turgeau in 2021 for security reasons. —NPR, 17 Oct. 2025

Peyton and Osuna told me that, in the past, immigrants who’ve lived in the United States for a long time were typically released on bond, but the Administration will no longer allow such releases of people who originally entered the country without a visa. —Geraldo Cadava, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 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