initially

adverb

ini·​tial·​ly i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē 

: 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.

Synonyms of initially

• originally

Examples of initially in a Sentence

we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up

Recent Examples on the Web

She was initially prescribed Zoloft, and began looking into other medications for postpartum mental health issues in November 2022. — Emma Banks, PEOPLE, 31 Aug. 2026

Cooks initially signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Mizzou in April 2025. — Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026

The insecurity landscape is also more chaotic because some groups, after initially being invited to help defend against insurgents, turned into terrorists, said Dengiyefa Angalapu, an analyst at the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026

While variable loans may initially offer lower rates, your rate and payment could increase. — Amy Deyoung, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for initially

• judicially
• officially
• artificially
• beneficially
• prejudicially
• superficially
• unofficially