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.
She was initially banned from politics for five years but an appeals court this year paved the way for her to run in the 2027 election to succeed President Emmanuel Macron.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
When I told my mom that I wanted to tell the truth, she initially disowned me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Actor and comedian Rob Brydon has said he was initially against the idea of playing a fictionalised version of himself in The Trip, but ended up enjoying it and thought it made viewers "more curious".
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
Most of that cash, some $19 billion, is forecast to come from electric-vehicle sales, which were stronger than initially anticipated by Wall Street.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Geyer knew from Alice’s letters that initially she found the trip to be something of an adventure.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
