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

The air base was originally slated for closure in 2011 as part of a broader restructuring of Germany’s armed forces, but that plan was reversed in 2021 after years of uncertainty over the site’s future. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 5 July 2026

True Limoges will have at least two marks on it—a factory mark and a decorating mark—and will sometimes have an import mark identifying the retailer where it was originally sold. — Quincy Bulin, Southern Living, 5 July 2026

Every investment must remain attractive from today’s price, not from the price at which it was originally purchased or sold short. — Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026

The attacks have exposed significant vulnerabilities in Russia’s defenses, which were originally built for traditional missiles and aircraft, not fleets of drones. — Marc Santora, New York Times, 4 July 2026

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