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# initially

adverb (initially)

«initially» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Initially means at the beginning, at first, before anything changed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#m1)
2. It can also show that a first plan or idea was later changed: Initially he said no, but then he said yes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#m2)

### In the lessons

In maths, marks the starting amount before the changes in a story; the question «how many initially» means the start number. In science, the initial state is how things were before an experiment. In everyday life and stories, it shows a change of mind or of a situation. Phrases: «at first», «in the beginning», «to begin with» mean the same; the adjective is initial.

### Examples

- Initially, Sam had 20 marbles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x1)
- How many did she have initially? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x2)
- Initially the tank held 50 litres. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x3)
- Initially there were 12 birds on the tree. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x4)
- Initially I was scared of the dog, but now we are friends. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x5)
- The plant was initially 5 cm tall and grew 2 cm a week. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x6)
- Initially the team lost, but they won the second half. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x7)
- Initially the water was cold; after an hour it was warm. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/#x8)

### Note

Adjective: initial («the initial amount»); also a noun: initials are the first letters of your names. Tells which number is the start. When the question asks for the initial amount, work backwards: undo each change (add back what was taken, take away what was added). Trap: do not give the end amount.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «initially» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/initially/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«initially» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/initially.html) on Mova free.