INITIALLY Synonyms: 10 Similar and Opposite Words

initially

adverb

i-ˈni-sh(ə-)lē

Definition of initially next

as in originally

in the beginning we initially intended to rebuild our hurricane-damaged home from the ground up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 That search initially appeared to produce a blockbuster hire. —

Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026 Still, Langston and Bowen were initially circumspect. —

Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Purkis said Caulfeild is bankrolling the business — at least initially. —

Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 18 May 2026 Samples from Bunia were initially tested for the more common Ebola strain Zaire, Congolese officials said. —

Jean-Yves Kamale, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for initially

Recent Examples of Synonyms for initially

originally

Adverb

There is, of course, the ever-tightening constraints of the international publishing market that limit the reach of any book not either a) originally published in English or b) published in a country with the money to ensure its translation and distribution into English.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Tobia Scarpa, architect and designer, who is the son of Venetian architect and design god Carlo Scarpa was summoned back by FLOS at age 91 to tweak the design of his Seki-Han, a lamp originally issued from 1963 to 1966.

— Anthony Paletta, Curbed, 17 May 2026