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

• 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

Teachers gravitated to a book in one of our exhibits, Sermons and Addresses by Abraham Lincoln, that originally belonged to Parthenia Lawrence, a Black teenager who lived in the tenements during the Civil War and Reconstruction. —Annie Polland, Time, 25 Sep. 2025

On-orbit refueling NASA originally explored the idea of OOR during the 1960s, eventually leading to the Integrated Program Plan (IPP)—aka Space Transportation System (STS)—in 1969. —Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2025

Jerry and Meara originally met in 1953 and tied the knot in 1954. —Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025

Sosa was dealing with a right groin strain, but Walton had already been on the roster for a few days before he was originally placed on the IL. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 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