Initially means at the beginning or at first, before things changed or developed further. When a teacher initially assigns a project, that's when she first gives it to the class. When scientists initially test a new medicine, those are the first experiments they run.

The word often signals that what came first was different from what came later. You might initially think a book will be boring based on its cover, but then discover it's actually thrilling once you start reading. A friendship might initially seem awkward when you first meet someone new, but grow comfortable over time. When you're initially confused by a math concept but eventually understand it, that “initially” marks the starting point before your understanding improved.

Using initially helps explain how situations unfold or change. “I was initially scared of diving off the high board” tells listeners that fear came first, hinting that courage or comfort came later. The word creates a sense of before and after, marking that first moment before anything else happened.