initially

adverb

ini·​tial·​ly i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce initially (audio)
: 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.
As an artist, she was initially signed to no fewer than three different recording labels in 15 years in Music City. Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 22 July 2025 Teachers and college staff initially helped rescue the students before the fire and army departments arrived at 1:22 p.m. Escher Walcott, People.com, 21 July 2025 People did, in fact, want more choice, even if the feedback initially did not indicate that. Andy Watts, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025 Though initially conceived as a three-season series by Sudeikis and his co-creators, the show received a surprise season 4 renewal back in March. EW.com, 21 July 2025 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 29 Jul. 2025.

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