initially

adverb

ini·​tial·​ly i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce initially (audio)
Synonyms of initiallynext
: at the beginning : at first
The reason I initially came here was to find work.
It turned out that the situation was not as serious as we had initially believed.
Initially, the symptoms are mild.

Examples of initially in a Sentence

we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Public works crews initially covered the commemorative statue and massive 100-foot mural dedicated to Chavez and the farmworker movement on Thursday. Luzdelia Caballero, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026 Although the wrongful death suit, filed in Essex Superior Court, initially uncovered the allegations, Quigley’s medical records were placed under seal. Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 19 Mar. 2026 The ride-hailing company will initially purchase 10,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis to roll out commercial deployments in San Francisco and Miami in 2028. Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 19 Mar. 2026 Condensing approximately 1,200 pages — initially released in 18 installments — for today’s attention-span-less audience was always going to be a tricky proposition, of course. Jon O'Brien, IndieWire, 19 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for initially

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of initially was circa 1628

Cite this Entry

“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on initially

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster