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
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Due to its demand for computing power and related infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence (AI) may initially be inflationary. — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Billy Starr, founder and chairman of PMC, initially invited Springsteen to the ride in 1984. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2026 Before the weekend, Sony had initially been projecting a much less dazzling start of $195 million domestic and $465 million global that would have still put the film among the top 10 all-time debuts. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 3 Aug. 2026 The position was initially established in the third quarter of 2025, but the company visibly ramped up its purchases this year after Abel took over as CEO. — CNBC, 3 Aug. 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 5 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on initially

Nglish: Translation of initially for Spanish Speakers

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