initially

adverb

ini·​tial·​ly i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce initially (audio)
: 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.
First Class Automation ensures that stores don’t just perform well initially but continue to grow and thrive over time. Tyler Shepherd, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024 Wray, whom Trump initially tapped to lead the FBI in 2017, would not otherwise finish his term until 2027. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024 The employee told investigators that a mistake was initially made in accounting for small parcel delivery expenses, and then the person made intentional errors to hide the mistake, according to sources familiar with the investigation who were not authorized to share details from the probe. Melissa Repko, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024 The drone was used initially to communicate with the child. Charna Flam, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near initially

Cite this Entry

“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on initially

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!