How to Use originally in a Sentence

originally

adverb
  • The building was originally a school.
  • They originally planned to fix their old car, but they decided to buy a new one instead.
  • She has shown an ability to think originally about ways to improve the company.
  • That van originally belonged to us.
  • Originally, the word had a very different meaning from its current meaning.
  • Of course, that’s much less than many of the pieces were originally worth.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 June 2023
  • What about the project spoke to you originally?
    — Kyle McGovern, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Van Dusen originally thought this project would be wrapped in a day.
    — Elizabeth Kiefer, Architectural Digest, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The goal was originally waived off due to his stick touching the puck above the cross bar.
    — ABC News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • The emerald was originally the size of a bird's egg, but was later cut in two.
    — Ilana Frost, PEOPLE, 14 June 2026
  • The Hornets were originally part of the suit but a judge dropped them from it.
    — Charlotte Observer, 1 May 2026
  • That, that was originally on a carrier, that scene at the end.
    — Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 June 2022
  • Roberts originally planned to sit Smith.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
  • The writing on the wall originally said.
    — Shelley Smith Special To The Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
  • Groceries were originally subject to the full state sales tax.
    — Arkansas Online, 16 Feb. 2026
  • Stewart says that the wide toe box is what drew him to Xero originally.
    — Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
  • My dad was originally from Front Street.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Mar. 2026
  • Rocky was originally found as a stray near the Great Neck train station.
    — Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The pieces, from 2019, were originally carved from oak trees and then cast in bronze.
    — Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
  • Smith had originally planned to row in shifts, rowing for two hours and taking a break for two hours throughout the day.
    — Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 14 Feb. 2026
  • The lawyer who was originally handling Caudill’s case dropped out due to illness.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2026
  • The temple was originally made of wood, though little of it survived.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 8 Feb. 2026
  • That episode was originally Episode 3, the sort of flashback episode.
    — William Earl, Variety, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The suspects drove a truck up to the museum, part of which was originally built as a castle.
    — N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025
  • But Goodall wasn’t originally lined up for a career in science.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The start of service was originally expected to begin about a year and a half ago.
    — Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 15 Mar. 2026
  • In the first scene, it originally was not written with Apsáalooke.
    — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025
  • This change was originally set to expire at the end of 2025.
    — Scott Neuman, NPR, 5 Nov. 2025
  • The event was originally slated to take place on March 21.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 6 Mar. 2026
  • Williams had originally been placed on the first flight — the one that crashed — but was pulled off at the last moment due to overcrowding.
    — Jim Axelrod june 9, CBS News, 9 June 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'originally.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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