Standard Lemma guide

originally

adv · 5 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.ɪ.nə.li/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.ə.nə.li/
  • Australian, Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /əˈɹɪd͡ʒ.nə.li/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • New-Zealand: /əˈɹəd͡ʒ.ə.nə.li/
  • New-Zealand: /əˈɹəd͡ʒ.nə.li/
  • CMU ARPABET: ER0 IH1 JH AH0 N AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: ER0 IH1 JH N AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

As it was in the beginning; at first.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Originally, this paper was white, but over the years it has yellowed with age.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

In an original manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • They had to think originally to come up with those creative ideas.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in an original manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adverb

Meaning 4

before now

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • why didn't you tell me in the first place?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: in the first place, earlier, in the beginning, to begin with

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

with reference to the origin or beginning

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: primitively, in the beginning

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English originali; equivalent to original + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

58 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَصْلًا (ʔaṣlan) — as it was in the beginning
  • Belarusian: спача́тку (spačátku) — as it was in the beginning
  • Belarusian: першапачатко́ва (pjeršapačatkóva) — as it was in the beginning
  • Bulgarian: първонача́лно (pǎrvonačálno) — as it was in the beginning
  • Catalan: originàriament — as it was in the beginning
  • Catalan: originalment — as it was in the beginning
  • Chinese Mandarin: 本來 /本来 (běnlái) — as it was in the beginning
  • Chinese Mandarin: 原來 /原来 (yuánlái) — as it was in the beginning
  • Czech: původně — as it was in the beginning
  • Dutch: oorspronkelijk — as it was in the beginning
  • Dutch: aanvankelijk — as it was in the beginning
  • Esperanto: originale — as it was in the beginning
  • French: au départ — as it was in the beginning
  • French: à la base — as it was in the beginning
  • French: à l'origine — as it was in the beginning
  • West-Frisian: orizjineel — as it was in the beginning
  • German: ursprünglich — as it was in the beginning
  • Hungarian: eredetileg — as it was in the beginning
  • Italian: in origine — as it was in the beginning
  • Italian: all'origine — as it was in the beginning
  • Italian: originariamente — as it was in the beginning
  • Japanese: 本来 (honrai) — as it was in the beginning
  • Japanese: 元来 (ganrai) — as it was in the beginning
  • Japanese: 元々 (motomoto) — as it was in the beginning
  • Korean: 원래 (wollae) — as it was in the beginning
  • Korean: 본래 (bollae) — as it was in the beginning
  • Central Kurdish: لە کاتی خۆییدا (le katî xoyîda) — as it was in the beginning
  • Latin: prīmitus — as it was in the beginning
  • Manchu: ᡩᠠᠴᡳ (daci) — as it was in the beginning
  • Manchu: ᡩᠠᡩᡝ (dade) — as it was in the beginning
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: opphavleg — as it was in the beginning
  • Occitan: originàriament — as it was in the beginning
  • Polish: pierwotnie — as it was in the beginning
  • Russian: внача́ле (vnačále) — as it was in the beginning
  • Russian: сперва́ (spervá) — as it was in the beginning
  • Russian: первонача́льно (pervonačálʹno) — as it was in the beginning
  • Russian: изнача́льно (iznačálʹno) — as it was in the beginning
  • Scottish Gaelic: bho thùs — as it was in the beginning
  • Slovak: pôvodne — as it was in the beginning
  • Spanish: originalmente — as it was in the beginning
  • Spanish: originariamente — as it was in the beginning
  • Swedish: ursprungligen — as it was in the beginning
  • Thai: เดิมที — as it was in the beginning
  • Ukrainian: споча́тку (spočátku) — as it was in the beginning
  • Ukrainian: спе́ршу (spéršu) — as it was in the beginning
  • Welsh: yn wreiddiol — as it was in the beginning
  • Belarusian: арыгіна́льна (aryhinálʹna) — creatively
  • Bulgarian: оригина́лно (originálno) — creatively
  • Catalan: originalment — creatively
  • Dutch: origineel — creatively
  • Dutch: op een nieuwe manier — creatively
  • Italian: originalmente — creatively
  • Occitan: originalament — creatively
  • Polish: oryginalnie — creatively
  • Russian: оригина́льно (originálʹno) — creatively
  • Spanish: originalmente — creatively
  • Swedish: originellt — creatively
  • Ukrainian: оригіна́льно (oryhinálʹno) — creatively
Real reading context

originally in complete knowledge articles