initially

adverb

ini·​tial·​ly i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē How to pronounce initially (audio)
Synonyms of initially
: at the beginning : at first
The reason I initially came here was to find work.
It turned out that the situation was not as serious as we had initially believed.
Initially, the symptoms are mild.

Synonyms of initially

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Examples of initially in a Sentence

we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With his mother gone for five years for, initially, unclear reasons, Leo’s best friend is a massive shark that his artist father (Kinnear) built into the roof of their home. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026 Capital One initially credited the $922 charge but then rebilled it after the merchant responded to the chargeback. — Christopher Elliott, Mercury News, 6 July 2026 What initially resembles a thin cloud is actually the blended glow of countless distant stars, partially interrupted by darker lanes of interstellar dust. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026 The 79-year-old, who finished in second place against Tinubu in 2023, initially sought an alliance with other opposition parties to present a united candidate to thwart Tinubu’s second term bid. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for initially

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1628, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of initially was circa 1628

Rhymes for initially

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Browse Nearby Words

initial line
initially
initial public offering
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Cite this Entry

“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initially. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on initially

Nglish: Translation of initially for Spanish Speakers

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