inicialmente

initially, at first

adverb ee-nee-SYAHL-men-teh Less Common

Usage Note

Inicialmente is the adverbial form of inicial ('initial') and is more formal than al principio ('at the beginning') or al inicio, which dominate everyday speech. It is common in written narratives, reports, and academic texts to set a chronological starting point. Primero ('first') can often substitute in informal contexts.

Examples

"Inicialmente el proyecto parecía sencillo."

Natural Translation

Initially the project seemed straightforward.

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