1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primary concern for many house hunters is the asking price
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in chief
highest in rank or authority
the movie's primary screenwriter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in preliminary
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
a few minutes of primary instruction in the use of our diving gear before we actually got into the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of primary
During the August primary election, Mulvany Henry led a pool of six mayoral candidates with 3,619 votes.
—
Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Naturally, the primary suite was equipped with a massive boutique-style dressing room to accommodate John’s ostentatious wardrobe.
—Mekita Rivas, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
Pelosi, who announced her retirement on Thursday, is the latest in a handful of old guard establishment Democrats making their exit in the wake of the 2024 election — especially as younger, progressive candidates are launching primary bids against elder lawmakers.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Stockton was a campaign strategist for Joe Arpaio, a former Arizona sheriff who this month lost a primary bid to recapture his old post.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
Naturally, the primary suite was equipped with a massive boutique-style dressing room to accommodate John’s ostentatious wardrobe.
—Mekita Rivas, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025
Pelosi, who announced her retirement on Thursday, is the latest in a handful of old guard establishment Democrats making their exit in the wake of the 2024 election — especially as younger, progressive candidates are launching primary bids against elder lawmakers.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 7 Nov. 2025
Stockton was a campaign strategist for Joe Arpaio, a former Arizona sheriff who this month lost a primary bid to recapture his old post.
—Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
Cebu is also one the country’s main tourist centers.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Most of the money was poured into three main super PACs, both pro-Cuomo and anti-Mamdani.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
For years, fashion companies like Ralph Lauren pulled their products from Macy’s stores to sell more of their products direct to consumers online and at their own stores.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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The league then sends out direct notification letters to players, giving them the specific details of the fine and instructions on how to appeal.—
Matt Audilet,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The ship returned to PortMiami as scheduled Saturday morning, according to Carnival chief communications officer Chris Chiames.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Much like Blue Origin’s chief competitor, SpaceX — which has long been a dominant force in the commercial launch business — Blue Origin rockets are designed to be partially reused in order to drive down costs.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Federal judge Julia Kobick in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Administration from enforcing the policy against Orr and six other individual plaintiffs in April.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
7 Nov. 2025
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The feedback will be used to screen candidates to select for preliminary interviews in January.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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These trends will have immediate electoral consequences.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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What set him apart early was his willingness to apply his technical knowledge to fields and tasks that went beyond his immediate responsibilities.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Despite the massive buildout, Al Khateeb assured the crowd that protecting the natural environment remains a foremost concern of Saudi Arabia’s government.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
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The unscripted series pairs Snooki with Kevin Whitaker, one of Canada’s foremost psychic mediums.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Pacific Ridge School, an independent, co-ed, college preparatory day school in Carlsbad, started its 19th academic year with the Annual Trustee Dinner.—
News Release,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
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Those preparatory projects included the installation of new capping roofs to weatherproof the buildings for a long period of care and maintenance, as well as the rerouting of electrical supplies and de-planting of boiler equipment.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Crime and safety, particularly in Downtown, were the predominant issues in the race, especially after a string of high-profile incidents this summer and fall.—
Jordan Kellogg,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Nov. 2025
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Despite the concerns around African democracy, Afrobarometer’s annual African Insights survey shows voting in elections remains the predominant form of political and civic engagement, with nearly three-quarters of respondents voting in their country’s elections last year.—
Yinka Adegoke,
semafor.com,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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