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.
Weezy initially teased a C6 release date in a Cetaphil Super Bowl commercial, and ended up officially confirming the album’s June 6 arrival in April. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 3 June 2025 Interviewed later by Fort Lauderdale Police investigators, Lockwood initially denied placing the tracker on the car but later admitted to it when speaking to a supervisor. Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 3 June 2025 Medicaid emerged as a major sticking point for Republicans negotiating the terms of the bill, with those who represent swing districts initially advocating for Medicaid to be left intact and fiscal hawks pushing for even more cuts. Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025 The unit offers mostly young, nonviolent offenders an opportunity to avoid prosecution by completing a program to address the issues that initially led to their arrest. Bram Sable-Smith, CNN Money, 3 June 2025 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

Cite this Entry

“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on initially

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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