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.

---

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

But Salk’s approach initially had the upper hand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

It turns out the best general advice for a nutritious and healthy start to the day is the guidance developed initially for people with Type 2 diabetes.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 21, 2026

They were initially promoted as a potentially safer alternative to conventional cigarettes and as a tool to help people quit smoking.

From Science Daily • Jun. 21, 2026

Trump had initially told Italian broadcaster La7 that Meloni "begged" him for a picture at this week's G7 summit in France, saying he agreed only because he "felt sorry for her."

From Barron's • Jun. 20, 2026

“SNCC had to use the students initially, otherwise the effort in Selma would have failed and there would have been no Selma campaign.”

From "Because They Marched" by Russell Freedman

Related Words

• originally