initially
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of initially
Explanation
The word initially can be used to describe an action that happened first. You might initially want fish for dinner, but then end up getting the pasta special that looks so good. The adverb initially can describe something that happened at the beginning. Initially you might have thought the apartment was too small, but then you decided to take it because of the rooftop garden. You initially wanted to go to college far from home, but decided to stay closer to be near your family. The bride-to-be initially wanted an outdoor wedding, but decided against it because of the area's unpredictable weather.
Vocabulary lists containing initially
Hatchet
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Workshop 3, Part 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He initially walked by but returned to check it out on a two-hour layover.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
While astronomers and space scientists were initially skeptical about the planet nine theory, there has been mounting evidence thanks to increasingly powerful observations that the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects are indeed erratic.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Reiner was initially represented by high-profile criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson, who also repped Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, but in January, Jackson dropped Reiner when his siblings didn’t pay for the pricey defense.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
The ride went smoothly, with Wood pointing out that, while robo-taxi technology took longer to develop than she initially expected, it’s here: “As with many new innovations…they come slowly, then all at once.”
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
Suddenly, I understand that it’s probably worse than I initially thought.
From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
