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
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
This story was originally published in the June 2005 issue of Outdoor Life.
—
Jack Atcheson Sr. As Told To Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
It was originally released in 2000.
—Kris Holt, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
On DSPs and at digital retailers, the 23 new songs merely comprise disc one of Swag II, with a second disc also containing the 21 songs originally released as Swag the First.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
The pair reportedly married at the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton, and later renewed their vows in June 2011 at an event guests originally believed was a joint birthday party for the duo.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for originally
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.
Jack Atcheson Sr. As Told To Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 11 Sep. 2025
It was originally released in 2000.
—Kris Holt, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
On DSPs and at digital retailers, the 23 new songs merely comprise disc one of Swag II, with a second disc also containing the 21 songs originally released as Swag the First.
—Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2025
The pair reportedly married at the La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton, and later renewed their vows in June 2011 at an event guests originally believed was a joint birthday party for the duo.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for originally
Cite this Entry
“Originally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/originally. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share