Definition of initiallynext
as in originally
in the beginning 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.
Recent Examples of initially Senior European officials fear the economic and political implications of the conflict are likely to prove far worse than initially presumed, according to Mujtaba Rahman, managing director of Europe at Eurasia Group. Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026 Lisa began working full-time in the secondhand clothing sector in 1994, initially in Poland and later in the Netherlands, supplying wholesalers in both Eastern Europe and Africa. Lisa Jepsen, Sourcing Journal, 30 Mar. 2026 The sighting makes the injury appear significantly more serious than initially indicated. Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 The company initially got the go ahead from the city’s development services department in November 2025, however, that permission was revoked soon after questions from neighbors revealed the city staffers had incorrectly interpreted the site’s land use rules. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for initially
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initially
originally
Adverb
  • Some of the works and items are still arranged as Frick had originally installed them (though almost half of the permanent collection has been acquired since his death in 1919).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Just before the deployment, there was an ugly scene at San Francisco International Airport after agents carried away a passenger, originally from Guatemala, who was waiting to board a domestic flight with her daughter.
    Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026

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“Initially.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initially. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

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