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

These actions helped lay the groundwork for the later establishment of the role of White House Press Secretary, a position first occupied by journalist George Akerson, whom Herbert Hoover had originally hired as his secretary. —JSTOR Daily, 7 Nov. 2025

This is the level of cuts in CAP water that Arizona originally proposed to take under most hydrological circumstances after 2027, unless farmers in western Arizona agree to take some of the burden off the CAP — which they are not obligated to do. —Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Holland's contract was originally set to expire in mid-November 2025. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025

Ríos Pérez is originally from Quetzaltenango in Guatemala. —Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 6 Nov. 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