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

Recent Examples on the Web However, seeing these actors in new roles in Act Two is initially jarring and distracting — especially since Matthis goes from Sherry to the character of Dr. Toros using only a simple white coat to distinguish between the two. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024 Yet some of these upstart parties initially emerge from the political center. Sarah Engler, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024 Prosecutors initially urged the judge to give her a prison term of almost six years before Scola revised the sentencing guidelines to a lower level based on the value of the reptile skins used in making her handbags, not on the actual price tags. Jay Weaver, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2024 There was also supposed to be an unreleased Dilla beat on Detroit 2, but that didn’t happen—which is unfortunate, considering that Sean initially envisioned having a certain fellow Detroit rapper on the track: Eminem. Essence, 23 Apr. 2024 In turn, he’s taken on far more than initially anticipated. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024 Last Monday, prosecutors initially requested a $3,000 fine and contempt finding after flagging three social media posts by Trump. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2024 Swift's sprawling, autobiographical 11th album was initially released as 16 songs at midnight on Friday. Anastasia Tsioulcas, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024 Reconciling with the enormity of suffering in the Holocaust where 6 million Jews perished, Stillman initially reasoned all the carnage was not in vain. The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'initially.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 29 Apr. 2024.

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