"initially encountered" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to indicate that something happened at the beginning of a particular experience or event. For example, "When the team initially encountered their new project, they were overwhelmed by the scope and complexity of the task."
Voters initially encountered confusion and long lines today when they tried to cast ballots.
Aldridge managed to board a ship to England but initially encountered the same sort of racist treatment.
Wolsey is initially encountered at the peak of his powers, a leopard of a man, clad in scarlet so fine he likes to be priced by the yard.
This slow adjustment is important because it mimics the delayed reaction or disbelief one might experience when such a troubling and disorienting view is initially encountered.
At the same time troops from the 101st Airborne Division moved into Zhare District to the southwest, where they initially encountered strong resistance.
Tracing the history of WikiLeaks' activities, Mr. Benkler said it had initially encountered skepticism over the authenticity of the documents it published.
We initially encounter Bennett-Jones when he meets Aviva Rossner, a new student at the boarding school — Jewish, self-possessed, from the Chicago area.
Visitors initially encounter a large ram's head and a group of smaller versions mounted on columns in the so-called dune garden, and again near the summer living room, where they stand like guardian sentinels.
Teachers initially encounter almost all of the program's science content ideas and STeLLA teaching strategies during the summer institute.
"Most labs initially encounter difficulties in recruiting, when their reputation is not that well known," he says.
Bettinger says that scientists initially encountering intellectual property law are struck by the formality, not only in dress but also in language, compared with the laid-back atmosphere of academia.
