adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ɪˈnɪʃəli/
/ɪˈnɪʃli/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N IH1 SH AH0 L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
At the beginning.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
Initially, I found city life incredibly difficult, but now I'm used to it.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adverb
Meaning 2
at the beginning
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
at first he didn't notice anything strange
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: ab initio
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English initial Middle English -ly English -ly English initially From initial + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bashkir:
башта
(başta)
— at the beginning
Bulgarian:
първоначално
(pǎrvonačalno)
— at the beginning
Bulgarian:
отначало
(otnačalo)
— at the beginning
Chinese Mandarin:
起初
(qǐchū)
— at the beginning
Chinese Mandarin:
最初
(zuìchū)
— at the beginning
Dutch:
aanvankelijk
— at the beginning
Esperanto:
komence
— at the beginning
Finnish:
aluksi
— at the beginning
Finnish:
alun perin
— at the beginning
French:
initialement
— at the beginning
French:
au début
— at the beginning
French:
au commencement
— at the beginning
Galician:
inicialmente
— at the beginning
German:
zunächst
— at the beginning
German:
anfangs
— at the beginning
Ancient Greek:
τὴν ἀρχὴν
(tḕn arkhḕn)
— at the beginning
Japanese:
始めに
(hajime ni)
— at the beginning
Korean:
처음에
(cheo'eume)
— at the beginning
Manchu:
ᡨᡠᡴᡨᠠᠨ
(tuktan)
— at the beginning
Occitan:
inicialament
— at the beginning
Polish:
początkowo
— at the beginning
Portuguese:
inicialmente
— at the beginning
Russian:
первонача́льно
(pervonačálʹno)
— at the beginning
Russian:
изнача́льно
(iznačálʹno)
— at the beginning
Russian:
снача́ла
(snačála)
— at the beginning
Russian:
внача́ле
(vnačále)
— at the beginning
Scottish Gaelic:
an toiseach
— at the beginning
Scottish Gaelic:
sa chiad dol a-mach
— at the beginning