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

Originally painted with one strap languidly falling from the shoulder, Sargent’s portrait created a stir in late-1800s Paris.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

Originally the symbol for Maybach-Motorenbau—a maker of sternly grand luxury cars in Germany before World War II—the monogram now denotes Mercedes-Maybach, the sub-brand launched by Stuttgart in 2014 to compete against Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

Originally, Vargas had cast a non-actor who had recently become a father and whose real life closely resembled the fiction, but he exited the project after realizing it would take him away from his family.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Originally from Minnesota, and with more than six years at art school, Lennick launched the business in 2015 as a food-themed, hand-printed clothing line, based in San Francisco's trendy Mission district.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Originally mistakenly identified as the bomber, Mr. Aziz is being laid to rest by well over a thousand community members of all faiths here in Dearborn, Michigan.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• basically
• formerly