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
Strategic LinkedIn Network Building Networking feels uncomfortable initially, but LinkedIn thrives on professional connections.
—
Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Dakota Hensley, 26, pleaded guilty in Clermont County Common Pleas Court on July 2 to voluntary manslaughter, a lesser charge than the murder count Hensley was initially indicted on.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 9 July 2025
Like many young hitters, Smith initially struggled to find his offensive footing.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 9 July 2025
The change had been previously reported by other news organizations but was not initially confirmed by the TSA.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 July 2025
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.
Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
Dakota Hensley, 26, pleaded guilty in Clermont County Common Pleas Court on July 2 to voluntary manslaughter, a lesser charge than the murder count Hensley was initially indicted on.
—Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 9 July 2025
Like many young hitters, Smith initially struggled to find his offensive footing.
—Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 9 July 2025
The change had been previously reported by other news organizations but was not initially confirmed by the TSA.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for initially
Cite this Entry
“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share