initially

The word “initially” means at first, before anything changed. In plain terms, at the start of something, often used to set up a contrast with what happened later.

“Initially” is pronounced ih-NIH-shuh-lee (/ɪˈnɪʃəli/ in IPA).

Here is “initially” used in a sentence: “Initially, I thought the plan was a bad idea, but it worked out well.”

The opposite of “initially” — its antonyms — are finally and medially.

“Initially” is an adverb.

“Initially” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

Both point to the beginning, but they differ in emphasis. Initially describes what happened first in a sequence, implying that things later changed. Originally stresses the source or the very first version of something. You might say a plan initially seemed simple, or that a house was originally built in 1900.

The natural opposites are words that point to the end of a process rather than its start, such as eventually, finally, or ultimately. Initially sets up the first stage of a story; eventually describes where it ended up. For example, a task initially looked hard but eventually became routine.

Initially usually opens a sentence to signal a first state that later shifts. For example: 'Initially, she disliked the city, but after a year she loved it.' Or: 'The engine ran fine initially, then began to stutter.' It tells the reader a change is coming.

Initially is neutral and works in both formal and casual settings. It appears comfortably in academic writing, business reports, and everyday speech. In very relaxed conversation, people often prefer 'at first' or 'to begin with', which sound slightly warmer, but initially is never out of place and carries a clean, precise tone.