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.
One of the biggest controversies in England’s development initially began when one of their former players and now a leading commentator, Alex Hartley, criticised the players’ fitness after their shock defeat to the West Indies in Dubai in October and their early exit from the T20 World Cup. Paul Newman, New York Times, 28 June 2025 Recognizing that this majority won't initially be drawn to your opportunity helps set realistic expectations. Ryan Hohman, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025 Police initially could not get into the home at all because of the numerous piles of what was described as miscellaneous items and garbage, the reports said. Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025 Johnson was charged with allegedly making a terroristic threat and initially held at the Travis County Jail, according to APD. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 27 June 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 30 Jun. 2025.

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