originally

adverb

orig·​i·​nal·​ly ə-ˈri-jə-nᵊl-ē How to pronounce originally (audio)
-ˈrij-nə-lē,
-ˈri-jən-
1
archaic : by origin or derivation : inherently
2
: in the beginning : in the first place : initially
3
: in a fresh or original manner

Examples of originally in a Sentence

That van originally belonged to us. The building was originally a school. They originally planned to fix their old car, but they decided to buy a new one instead. Originally, the word had a very different meaning from its current meaning. a New Yorker who is originally from Mexico She has shown an ability to think originally about ways to improve the company.
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.
Buy It Now This article was originally published by Glamour UK. Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2025 The future of Starliner The Boeing Starliner spacecraft that originally brought Williams and Wilmore to the space station suffered several big setbacks during the first leg of their trip, which is why Williams and Wilmore waited nine months for their journey home aboard a SpaceX capsule Tuesday. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 18 Mar. 2025 Source: The National Weather Service This story was originally published March 18, 2025 at 4:07 AM. Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 18 Mar. 2025 This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 3:43 PM. Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for originally

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of originally was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Originally.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/originally. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

originally

adverb
orig·​i·​nal·​ly ə-ˈrij-ən-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce originally (audio)
-nəl-ē
1
: in the beginning : in the first place
2
: in an original manner

More from Merriam-Webster on originally

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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