originally

1. (not comparable) As it was in the beginning; at first.Examples: "Originally, this paper was white, but over the years it has yellowed with age."; "There are 36 known praenomina, though there may originally have been more."; "The 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."Synonyms: at firstnot-comparable