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

State media initially reported four deaths and dozens trapped after levels of carbon monoxide -- a highly toxic, odourless gas -- in the mine were found to have "exceeded limits".

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

Budgets initially ballooned as gaming studios raced to capture the attention of people stuck in their homes.

From MarketWatch • May 23, 2026

Raducanu and Richardson initially linked up in April for a four-day training stint at the Ferrer Tennis Academy in Spain, where Richardson has been the tennis director for several years.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

The judge accused prosecutors of impropriety with the grand jury, which initially declined to indict the group that became known as the Broadview Six.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

His ambitions were initially opposed by an alliance of Holland, England and Sweden.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

Related Words

• originally