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

This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 9:02 AM. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 Jan. 2025

This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 9:37 PM. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 17 Jan. 2025

This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 2:27 PM. —Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2025

This story was originally published April 15, 2023 at 5:00 AM. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Jan. 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