primarily

adverb

pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē 

also prə-

chiefly British ˈprī-mə-rə-lē

1

: for the most part : chiefly

… has now become primarily a residential town …

—S. P. B. Mais

2

: in the first place : originally

Synonyms of primarily

• originally

Examples of primarily in a Sentence

the university was primarily an agricultural college when it was founded over two centuries ago

ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes

Recent Examples on the Web

District 22, which primarily covers south Meridian, was on a trajectory to stay red. — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2026

And in April, the Mouse House eliminated about 1,000 roles, primarily as a result of D’Amaro’s formation of a consolidated enterprise marketing division under the leadership of Asad Ayaz, chief marketing and brand officer. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 3 Nov. 2026

Menu navigation is handled primarily through eye gaze and voice, though Bluetooth keyboards, mice, and controllers are also supported. — New Atlas, 3 Nov. 2026

The company cited an operational decrease of $57 million, primarily due to lower Covid revenues, and a $15 million negative impact from foreign exchange. — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

primary entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primarily

• contrarily
• summarily
• airily
• caroli
• merrily
• verily
• warily
• wearily
• arbitrarily
• customarily
• militarily
• momentarily

Kids Definition

primarily

adverb

pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē 

1

: for the most part : chiefly

2

: in the first place : originally