initially

American  

[ih-nish-uh-lee] / ɪˈnɪʃ ə li /

adverb

1. happening first; at the start; in the beginning.

   Although natural gas cars cost a bit more initially, savings from lower fuel costs can help make up the difference.

   The foundation initially funded only educational programs, but later also awarded grants for emotional and social support.

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Etymology

Origin of initially

initial ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

initially

Rather than humans simply taking control of wolves, Mitchell argues that people and wolves may initially have entered the relationship as relatively equal participants.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026

When the Sex Pistols’ record came out, initially the Stateside reaction was positive, at least from people in the Ramones’ camp.

From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026

The presenter apologised 30 minutes after the messages were initially triggered, Ofcom said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

Those who made it to Ceuta initially celebrated, shouting “Viva España.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

The method used corresponds to the method initially used by Newcomen—though he later found a better one.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• originally