originally

American  

[uh-rij-uh-nl-ee] / əˈrɪdʒ ə nl i /

adverb

1. with respect to origin; by origin.

   Originally he came from California.

2. at the beginning; at first.

   Originally this was to be in three volumes.

3. in the first place; primarily.

   Originally nomads, they first learned agriculture from the missionaries.

4. in an original, novel, or distinctively individual manner.

   Originally planned houses are much in demand.

5. Archaic. from the beginning; from the first; inherently.

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originally British  

/ əˈrɪdʒɪnəlɪ /

adverb

1. in the first place

2. in an original way

3. with reference to the origin or beginning

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Etymology

Origin of originally

First recorded in 1480–90; original + -ly

Example Sentences

You know, he originally pursued the rights to this book himself and wasn’t able to get it, the rights were already taken.

From Los Angeles Times

The October numbers, originally due Nov. 26, are arriving nearly two months late.

From The Wall Street Journal

Moore originally grew up in South L.A., where he started playing drums at 13, focusing on R&B and funk before eventually being mentored by the renowned jazz saxophonist and singer Elvira “Vi” Redd.

From Los Angeles Times

Her bloating and weight loss were originally put down to irritable bowel syndrome until she became so ill she ended up in A&E.

From BBC

“Because of this unprecedented demand and limited inventory, we’ve decided to pause our planned international expansion to the UK, France, Italy, and Canada, which was originally scheduled for early 2026,” Meta said.

From Barron's

Related Words

• basically
• formerly