起初的英文：
originally
at first
at the outset

参考例句：

edgar, the eldest, would not condescend to him at first
起初老大埃德加不屑同他为伍。

At first Athens was in the ascendant, then Sparta
起初雅典占了优势，后来斯巴达居上。

"Byzantine architects were eclectic, at first drawing heavily on Roman temple features. "
拜占庭建筑是折衷式的，起初着重于模仿罗马寺庙的特点。

He boggled his first attempt at carpentry
他起初想做木工，但因工作不佳而失败。

It was B.B.'s idea originally, of course,' he added as an afterthought
当然啦，起初这是B.B.的主意，”他转念一想，又加了一句。

In the first place
起初,首先

At first this did but augment her grief!
起初，这只增添了她的悲伤！

Used to initiate;initiatory.
起初的，初步的用来开始的;初步的

At first he had refused to commit himself.
起初，他不肯使自己承担责任。

The body is initially at rest, and the spring is initially unstretched.
起初物体是静止的，弹簧也未拉长。

originally是什么意思：
adv. 本来，原来，最初；独创地

a person with an original
有创作头脑的人

It was edited from the original text.
这是根据原文本编译的。

a Spanish rendering of the original Arabic
阿拉伯文的西班牙文译文.

first是什么意思：
adj. 第一的；最初的
adv. 第一，最初；首先；宁愿
n. 显着成就；第一个人或事物

the First International
第一国际（1864－1876）

first approximation
第一次近似;第一近似值;初步近似;一次近似值;一级近似;首次近似

There was a hush at first.
先是一阵寂静。

outset是什么意思：
n. 开始

The English incursion was doomed from the outset.
从一开始，英国的入侵就劫数难逃。

An ardent outset may be followed by declension.
热情的开端可能继之以冷漠。

At the outset, it looked like a nice day.
开始的时候，天看上去很晴朗。