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

• firstly
• 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

Hedges originally named it Leptotyphlops carlae after Carla, but subsequent genetic and morphological studies placed it in a different genus within the same family. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Source: The National Weather Service This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 5:39 PM. —Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 23 Apr. 2025

Source: National Interagency Fire Center This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM. —Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 23 Apr. 2025

This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 8:21 PM. —Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 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