initially
adverb
ini·tial·ly
i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē 
: 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
His professors, initially skeptical, soon became his mentors—coaches in the game of business.
—
Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Elphaba is treated initially as an outcast before Glinda approaches her.
—Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
Firefighters discovered the girl, who was suffering from severe smoke inhalation, on the fifth floor and brought her up to the roof as thick smoke billowing through the hallways initially blocked their exit.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025
Soboroff was initially tasked with developing a comprehensive rebuilding strategy.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for initially 
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Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
Elphaba is treated initially as an outcast before Glinda approaches her.
—Carolyn Giardina, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
Firefighters discovered the girl, who was suffering from severe smoke inhalation, on the fifth floor and brought her up to the roof as thick smoke billowing through the hallways initially blocked their exit.
—Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2025
Soboroff was initially tasked with developing a comprehensive rebuilding strategy.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for initially
Dictionary Entries Near initially
Cite this Entry
“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.
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