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

The show at the San Diego Civic Theatre originally scheduled for May 1 has been pushed back until Jan., 6, 2026, while the May 3 show that was scheduled to hit the Agua Caliente Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA is now slated for Oct. 24. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 May 2025

This article was originally published by Vogue Spain. —María Munsuri, Glamour, 4 May 2025

Update, May 4, 2025: This story, originally published May 2, has been updated with further information on the use of passkeys by Microsoft, as well as details of dedicated password manager apps as password management features are removed from the official Authenticator app. —Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

This article was originally published in 2022 and most recently updated on May 2, 2025, with current information. —Celeste Moure, AFAR Media, 2 May 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