initially
adverb
ini·tial·ly
i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē 
: 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
The arrest of the older brother of Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua and another man, initially suspected of taking Laker rookie Adou Thiero’s BMW, in December 2025 stemmed from a misunderstanding, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.
—
Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
The lowest two floors will be 90 feet apart as initially proposed, Bertao said.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Homeland Security officials said in a statement the Venezuelan national initially fled law enforcement in a vehicle but soon crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
When Bob Iger initially became the CEO of Disney in 2005, the focus for parks shifted to franchises, as opposed to creating original stories like the ones featured in beloved attractions such as the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean rides, the outlet reports.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for initially
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.
Sierra Van Der Brug, Daily News, 16 Jan. 2026
The lowest two floors will be 90 feet apart as initially proposed, Bertao said.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
Homeland Security officials said in a statement the Venezuelan national initially fled law enforcement in a vehicle but soon crashed into a parked car before fleeing on foot.
—Wcco Staff, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
When Bob Iger initially became the CEO of Disney in 2005, the focus for parks shifted to franchises, as opposed to creating original stories like the ones featured in beloved attractions such as the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean rides, the outlet reports.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for initially
Cite this Entry
“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
