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 balked at the idea of retirement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
With many festivals ran by volunteers and attended by small, local traders, Fryers said seeing the emails that used his name had initially been a shock.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Tesla was initially meant to show off the latest version of the robot earlier this year, but canceled its plans.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
According to court filings, Gilkar and Ahmed initially asked West to terminate the pregnancy after learning of the baby’s heart condition.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Barred from returning to Oklahoma, he had initially gone to work on a sheep farm in New Mexico, earning $75 a month.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
