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

Election officials originally had blocked the retired teacher from the primary ballot. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2026

Campbell is raising two children and working two jobs at Menokin, a historical site originally owned by Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a slave owner. — Ayesha Rascoe, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026

Virtual restoration would also allow researchers to study how an object originally looked without physically altering its surviving pieces. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026

The show originally ended with a 10-episode season on CBS in early 2020. — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 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