INITIALLY Synonyms: 10 Similar and Opposite Words

initially

adverb

i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē

Definition of initially next

as in originally

in the beginning we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of initially Sponsored by the Clarendon Hills Chamber of Commerce, the Farmers Market began in 2017 and initially was hosted for four years in the Sloan Triangle at Prospect and Park Avenues, before moving in 2021 to its current location. —

Chuck Fieldman, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026 Also looming over the trip is the Iran war, which initially delayed the meeting with Xi by a month. —

David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 11 May 2026 Fujita initially assigned the storm an experimental F6 rating based on its extreme destruction. —

Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 11 May 2026 Waymo is said to have initially offered to send the luggage to him, but would not cover shipping or courier fees. —

Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for initially

Recent Examples of Synonyms for initially

originally

Adverb

Trump has continued to praise the bilateral relationship since returning to the White House, even after his Beijing visit, originally scheduled for March, was postponed due to the early stages of the Iran war.

— Will Weissert, Fortune, 10 May 2026
Mello writes for Berkeleyside, which originally published this story.

— Felicia Mello, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026