originally

adverb

orig·​i·​nal·​ly ə-ˈri-jə-nᵊl-ē 

-ˈrij-nə-lē,

-ˈri-jən-

1

archaic : by origin or derivation : inherently

2

: in the beginning : in the first place : initially

3

: in a fresh or original manner

Synonyms

• firstly
• initially
• primarily

Examples of originally in a Sentence

That van originally belonged to us.

The building was originally a school.

They originally planned to fix their old car, but they decided to buy a new one instead.

Originally, the word had a very different meaning from its current meaning.

a New Yorker who is originally from Mexico

She has shown an ability to think originally about ways to improve the company.

Recent Examples on the Web

Yes, but: Dexter is not running unopposed, with Republican Joanna Harbour — a lawyer and entrepreneur originally from Estacada — representing the best shot at pulling off what would be a major upset. —Kale Williams, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024

The star attraction in the hotel's Las Vegas counterpart is called Awakening which was also originally designed by Dragone and features avant-garde acrobatics and huge puppets. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Her appearance was revealed only hours before the show’s 11:30 p.m. Eastern air time as her plane, originally headed for a campaign stop in Detroit, was diverted to New York. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

In a sense, smaller institutions—many originally founded on and thriving thanks to their inherent personalization—are uniquely positioned to succeed in this new era. —George Davis, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

originally

adverb

orig·​i·​nal·​ly ə-ˈrij-ən-ᵊl-ē 

-nəl-ē

1

: in the beginning : in the first place

2

: in an original manner