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
Frankfurt initially want to sign Osula on loan but are keen to bring him in permanently in the long term.
—
Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi initially described the shooting as gang-related, but Withrow declined to confirm that characterization.
—Kathleen Quinn, Sacbee.com, 1 Dec. 2025
Transportation officials initially had hoped to keep the old bridge open until just a few weeks before the new one was ready, to minimize the impacts to the surrounding communities.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025
Though the dress initially skipped a generation, as Mary's daughter opted for a 1920s flapper-style gown instead, the tradition officially began in 1946, when Mary's granddaughter, Jane Woodruff, wore it.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initially
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Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi initially described the shooting as gang-related, but Withrow declined to confirm that characterization.
—Kathleen Quinn, Sacbee.com, 1 Dec. 2025
Transportation officials initially had hoped to keep the old bridge open until just a few weeks before the new one was ready, to minimize the impacts to the surrounding communities.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 1 Dec. 2025
Though the dress initially skipped a generation, as Mary's daughter opted for a 1920s flapper-style gown instead, the tradition officially began in 1946, when Mary's granddaughter, Jane Woodruff, wore it.
—Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 1 Dec. 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 6 Dec. 2025.
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