initially

adverb

ini·​tial·​ly i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce initially (audio)
: at the beginning : at first
The reason I initially came here was to find work.
It turned out that the situation was not as serious as we had initially believed.
Initially, the symptoms are mild.

Examples of initially in a Sentence

we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first Trump administration initially continued the Housing First approach, praising the model. Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025 While this may seem pricey initially, the company has shown remarkable earnings momentum, a rapidly growing customer base, and is making significant strides in the booming cryptocurrency sector. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Unified Command: Ventura County Fire Department & Los Angeles County Fire Department Fire type: Wildfire Fire name: Canyon Fire Canyon Fire initially started 1:25 p.m. Aug. 7 in Los Angeles, Ventura County, California. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025 Former President Barack Obama's September 2013 trip to St. Petersburg is the last such visit, which initially included a stop in Moscow to meet with Putin. Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for initially

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of initially was circa 1628

Cite this Entry

“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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