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.
The Big Ten supports 24 teams and initially wanted multiple automatic qualifiers from each conference. Mark Long, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026 The site plan is for a 187-acre portion of the future data center campus that was initially approved by the Fort Worth City Council in 2025, located at the corner Lon Stephenson Road and Forest Hill Drive. Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 May 2026 During his sentencing on Tuesday, May 12, Judge John Aylmer initially sentenced Connaughton to seven years for dangerous driving causing death, given that he was already disqualified from driving at the time of the incident due to not having insurance on a previous occasion, per the Irish Times. Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026 Greene's mother, Mona Hardin, said that authorities initially told the family that Greene died when his car crashed into a tree, but body camera footage released amid public pressure and initially obtained by the AP nearly two years after his death showed his violent encounter with police. Deena Zaru, ABC News, 13 May 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 18 May. 2026.

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