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 title for the game, originally referred to as Control 2, leaked earlier with the legal team at Remedy filed a trademark. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Dec. 2025

The At Midnight star had originally shared with her Instagram followers that her pup went missing on April 29. —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025

Shalom Wildlife Zoo previously operated under a conditional use permit, originally approved in 1995. —Quinn Clark, jsonline.com, 11 Dec. 2025

Angel-Martinez and Castillo were originally charged as adults with first-degree murder and aiding in grand theft, in addition to two counts of robbery. —Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 11 Dec. 2025

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