our initial thought

USAGE SUMMARY

"our initial thought" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to an initial, possibly foundational, idea or thought that was shared by a group or individuals. Example sentence: We discussed the issue at length, but our initial thought was to find a compromise.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

But, he said, "our initial thought is he's going to be a long reliever".

The New York Times

A big part of our initial thought process was: Why don't people finish a lot of online classes?

Stanford University

"Our initial thought is that this is a panic response which has not been the product of any serious deliberations," he told a local radio program.

The New York Times

With an asset management business likely to have little in the way of net asset backing, in our view, our initial thought is that the majority of the disposal proceeds could accrue to capital.

The Guardian - Business

So our initial thought was: How could she have ended up taking such great photos?

HuffPost

"Our initial thought was that maybe... it might cause the disease," says Collinge.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

Our initial thoughts when we got beat were, it's a bit disappointing, but this is as sad as can be.

The Guardian - Sport

Our initial thoughts were to represent the idealistic stereotypes of Bounty adverts and Reggae Reggae Sauce and then we realised, we don't play pop music and our culture tells stories.

The Guardian - Travel

"Our initial thoughts on this are that Congress have given us a legislative vehicle that has come fully loaded with all the options," said Gloria Bergquist, a vice president at Auto Alliance, the industry trade association.

The Washington Post

"Our initial thoughts on this proposal are that it is favorable for both money fund shareholders and sponsors, and it is unlikely to create any challenges for corporations, financial institutions or other active money market borrowers," Mr. Roever wrote in a note to clients.

The New York Times

Stay tuned for some hands-on pics and our initial thoughts.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

To show collaboration you can choose to say "our initial thought" when you want to convey that an idea has been discussed between the members of a team.

Common error

Avoid presenting "our initial thought" as a definitive conclusion. Clearly indicate that it's a preliminary idea that may evolve.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "our initial thought" functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It introduces a preliminary idea or perspective, as demonstrated by Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Academia

25%

Science

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "our initial thought" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that indicates a preliminary idea or perspective shared by a group. Ludwig's analysis reveals that it is most frequently used in news and media contexts, with academia and science also being common. While interchangeable with phrases like "our preliminary thinking" or "our first impression", it's important to ensure that it's presented as a starting point rather than a final conclusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

our preliminary thinking

Emphasizes the early and tentative nature of the thought process.

our first impression

Highlights the immediate and initial reaction to something.

what we initially believed

Focuses on the belief aspect and its initial state.

our original idea

Stresses the origin and novelty of the idea.

our starting point

Implies a foundation or basis for further thought.

our initial assessment

Highlights the evaluation aspect and its preliminary nature.

the first thing we considered

Emphasizes the chronological order of consideration.

our early perspective

Focuses on viewpoint and its initial stage.

our working hypothesis

Highlights that the first thought is an hypothesis.

what crossed our minds first

Focuses on a spontaneous thought.

FAQs

How can I use "our initial thought" in a sentence?

You can use "our initial thought" to introduce a preliminary idea or perspective. For example, "Our initial thought was to reduce costs, but we later realized that quality would suffer."

What is a good alternative to "our initial thought"?

Alternatives include "our preliminary thinking", "our first impression", or "what we initially believed", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use "our initial thought" in writing?

It's appropriate to use "our initial thought" when describing the starting point of a decision-making process, a research project, or any situation where early ideas are relevant.

Is "my initial thought" interchangeable with "our initial thought"?

No, "my initial thought" refers to a single person's first idea, while "our initial thought" refers to the first idea of a group or collective. Choose the phrase that accurately reflects the number of people involved.