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

Synonyms of originally

• initially
• primarily

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

The thriller novel by author Lee Child was originally released in 1998, and as the comment suggests, follows Jack Reacher and a politician’s daughter as they are abducted by a radical militia to be used as leverage in political negotiations. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 20 Sep. 2026

Representatives of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Davidson, Monroe, Cornelius, Matthews, Mint Hill and Huntersville originally supported the rescission. — Charlotte Observer, 20 Sep. 2026

Backstory This historic property was originally a private homestead that transitioned into a store in the late 1700s and finally turned into a guest house in the 20th century. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Sep. 2026

The news organizations originally requested the full consultant’s report, known as an Affiliated Fee Analysis, from OIR in February of this year, and made a broader request to the Florida Senate for legislative emails in April. — Skyler Swisher, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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