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 couple initially bought four acres of land with plans to restore the 17th Century mill and built a treehouse for personal use in the meantime.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

While they may pay off eventually, to start with at least, “a new technology initially delivers more splash than macroeconomic results.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

Celeste Greig, a Hilton supporter from Northridge, initially supported Bianco and donated to his campaign.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026

“Eventually, it’s going to be lowered. It might not happen initially, but it’s going to go down,” he said.

From Salon • Apr. 12, 2026

She isn’t as horrible as I initially thought, but I prefer normal Andre to lovesick Andre.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Related Words

• originally