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 backstory The Park Hyatt was originally known as Hotel de la Paix. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 May 2026

Courtney had originally planned to marry her fiancé, Michael, on June 30. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 24 May 2026

This system uses highly advanced recycling technology originally developed for the Mars mission by NASA. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026

Wolff originally sued in state court in New York under a law barring lawsuits designed to silence critics. —Arkansas Online, 24 May 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