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

Wade Robson, James Safechuck's lawsuits revived by appeals court, set to go to trial In 2023, a California appeals court revived lawsuits against MJJ Productions and MJJ Ventures from Robson, originally filed in May 2013, and Safechuck, which was filed in May 2014. —Kimi Robinson, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2025

Editor’s Note: This analysis was originally published in CNN’s Meanwhile in America newsletter. —Stephen Collinson, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025

Tory Burch Virginia Metallic Cosmetic Bag, $90 (originally $128) Pursonic Handheld Travel Clothes Garment Steamer Nordstrom Quilted Jewelry Travel Case Love a great deal? —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2025

More Scores Denton Ryan 38, Amarillo Tascosa 28 Lubbock Monterey 58, Argyle 52 Glen Rose 43, Brock 21 Lipan 55, Lindsay 22 This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 9:16 PM. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Feb. 2025

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