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

The move, initially joined by Morocco and Bahrain, was the most significant break in Israel’s regional isolation since Egypt made peace half a century ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

He initially travelled to Dubai from Manchester in February 2020 and returned in May 2020 before heading back to the Arab state in November.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

To do so, Amazon Leo plans to initially deploy 3,200 satellites into low-Earth orbit -- however, there have been delays.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Murakami initially expected to receive a long-term, nine-figure contract.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

The Court decided to bar claims from federal habeas corpus review if they weren't initially presented to state courts.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• originally