Meanings
comparative more originally · superlative most originally
- not comparableAs it was in the beginning; at first.
Originally, this paper was white, but over the years it has yellowed with age.
2 more examples
There are 36 known praenomina, though there may originally have been more.
1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xvThe little green men were clearly professional soldiers by their bearing, carried Russian weapons, and wore Russian combat fatigues, but they had no identifying insignia. Vladimir Putin originally denied they were Russian soldiers; that April, he confirmed they were.
2019 March 18, Steven Pifer, Five years after Crimea’s illegal annexation, the issue is no closer to resolution, The Center for International Security and CooperationSynonyms: at first
- In an original manner.
They had to think originally to come up with those creative ideas.
Synonyms: innovatively, outside the box
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbAs it was in the beginning; at first.
adverbIn an original manner.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbwith reference to the origin or beginning
adverbbefore now
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishoriginali
- Englishoriginally
From Middle English originali; equivalent to original + -ly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic أَصْلًا
- أَصْلًا (ʔaṣlan)as it was in the beginning
Bulgarian първонача́лно, оригина́лно
- първонача́лно (părvonačálno)as it was in the beginning
- оригина́лно (originálno)creatively
Catalan originàriament, originalment
- originàriamentas it was in the beginning
- originalmentas it was in the beginning
- originalmentcreatively
Chinese Mandarin 本來 /本来, 原來 /原来
- 本來 /本来 (běnlái)as it was in the beginning
- 原來 /原来 (yuánlái)as it was in the beginning
Czech původně
- původněas it was in the beginning
Dutch oorspronkelijk, aanvankelijk
- oorspronkelijkas it was in the beginning
- aanvankelijkas it was in the beginning
- origineelcreatively
- op een nieuwe maniercreatively
Esperanto originale
- originaleas it was in the beginning
Finnish alun perin, aluksi
- alun perinas it was in the beginning
- aluksias it was in the beginning
- alkuaanas it was in the beginning
- omintakeisesticreatively
- omaperäisesticreatively
French au départ, à la base
- au départas it was in the beginning
- à la baseas it was in the beginning
- à l'origineas it was in the beginning
German ursprünglich
- ursprünglichas it was in the beginning
Hungarian eredetileg
- eredetilegas it was in the beginning
Italian in origine, all'origine
- in origineas it was in the beginning
- all'origineas it was in the beginning
- originariamenteas it was in the beginning
- originalmentecreatively
Japanese 本来, 元来
- 本来 (honrai)as it was in the beginning
- 元来 (ganrai)as it was in the beginning
- 元々 (motomoto)as it was in the beginning
Korean 원래, 본래
- 원래 (wollae)as it was in the beginning
- 본래 (bollae)as it was in the beginning
Latin prīmitus
- prīmitusas it was in the beginning
Polish pierwotnie, oryginalnie
- pierwotnieas it was in the beginning
- oryginalniecreatively
Russian внача́ле, сперва́
- внача́ле (vnačále)as it was in the beginning
- сперва́ (spervá)as it was in the beginning
- первонача́льно (pervonačálʹno)as it was in the beginning
- изнача́льно (iznačálʹno)as it was in the beginning
- оригина́льно (originálʹno)creatively
Scottish Gaelic bho thùs
- bho thùsas it was in the beginning
Slovak pôvodne
- pôvodneas it was in the beginning
Spanish originalmente, originariamente
- originalmenteas it was in the beginning
- originariamenteas it was in the beginning
- originalmentecreatively
Swedish ursprungligen, originellt
- ursprungligenas it was in the beginning
- originelltcreatively
Thai เดิมที
- เดิมทีas it was in the beginning
Ukrainian споча́тку, спе́ршу
- споча́тку (spočátku)as it was in the beginning
- спе́ршу (spéršu)as it was in the beginning
- оригіна́льно (oryhinálʹno)creatively
Welsh yn wreiddiol
- yn wreiddiolas it was in the beginning
Cite this entry
originally. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/originally
“originally.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/originally. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “originally,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/originally.
Source: originally on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.