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.
Initial location: Plumas County, Calif. Fire type: Wildfire Fire name: Evans Evans Fire initially started today at 2:08 p.m. in Plumas County. Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 June 2025 None of the old grounds crew members initially moved to the new stadium. Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 15 June 2025 Redemption was founded in 2010, and initially the brand’s focus was on rye whiskey. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 15 June 2025 Those who travelled to Los Angeles tended to arrive at the sort of unofficial port of entry, which was Watts, or, rather, the slice of Watts that they were initially apportioned: the blocks south of 103rd Street and Central Avenue, nicknamed Mudtown. Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 14 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 18 Jun. 2025.

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