originally
Americanadverb
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with respect to origin; by origin.
Originally he came from California.
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at the beginning; at first.
Originally this was to be in three volumes.
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in the first place; primarily.
Originally nomads, they first learned agriculture from the missionaries.
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in an original, novel, or distinctively individual manner.
Originally planned houses are much in demand.
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Archaic. from the beginning; from the first; inherently.
adverb
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in the first place
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in an original way
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with reference to the origin or beginning
Etymology
Origin of originally
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The parents originally bought their home to be close to the older brother and his family.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026
But, as originally written, “Life is a narrow bridge and the important thing, do not make oneself afraid,” reflects an important but subtle difference to “do not be afraid.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
This story originally appeared in “The Bite,” my weekly food newsletter for Salon.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The WRC season was reduced to 13 rounds when the Saudi Arabia event, originally planned for next month, was cancelled because of the ongoing unrest in the Middle East.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
The juvenile population in America increased from 1994 to 2000, but the juvenile crime rate declined, leading academics who had originally supported the “super-predator” theory to disclaim it.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
