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
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Recent Examples of primary
They will be required to start recording the boxes on the first day absentee ballots are issued for an election or primary and continue recording until the town clerk retrieves the last ballots.
—
Gabby Debenedictis, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
The major-party candidates in the race for governor are already set; neither faced a serious primary challenge.
—Margaret Barthel, NPR, 17 June 2025
Turnout is off to a strong start in this month’s city primary elections, as nearly 100,000 New Yorkers have cast ballots during the first three days of early voting — more than doubling the levels from the 2021 cycle.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 16 June 2025
The company formed as a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin in 2006 and had been the primary launch provider for national security missions until SpaceX joined the competition.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Gabby Debenedictis, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2025
The major-party candidates in the race for governor are already set; neither faced a serious primary challenge.
—Margaret Barthel, NPR, 17 June 2025
Turnout is off to a strong start in this month’s city primary elections, as nearly 100,000 New Yorkers have cast ballots during the first three days of early voting — more than doubling the levels from the 2021 cycle.
—Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 16 June 2025
The company formed as a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin in 2006 and had been the primary launch provider for national security missions until SpaceX joined the competition.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
One voter in Greenwich Village told ABC News that concerns about antisemitism were a main driver for his decision to vote for Cuomo.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
24 June 2025
-
Harper isn’t devoid of faults, with the two main ones being his defensive focus and inconsistent jump-shooting.—
Kambui Bomani,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the Red Carpet Ready Vitamin C Peel truly does give you an immediate glow.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
23 June 2025
-
This is the most immediate concern for analysts, who watched as oil prices jumped to a five-month high when markets opened in Asia on Monday morning, before falling back down with Brent crude sitting at approximately $79 per barrel.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
And the Silver chief financial officer, who was expected to be in court with documents, was a no-show.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
25 June 2025
-
Due to the expense, first-time home buyers in San Jose are also getting older, which may impact school enrollment, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
While beneficial for many taxpayers, CNBC reports that the Senate Finance Committee has provided preliminary versions of some items in their version of the bill, including one that would keep the SALT deduction at $10,000.—
Nathan Goldman,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
The games, seen as akin to a Jewish Olympics, had been set to open July 8, with preliminary activities beginning earlier in July.—
Philissa Cramer,
Sun Sentinel,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
He is estimated to have made them about €10m in direct revenue.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
The military action was retaliatory, a direct response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Sindhu Bhaskar,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
-
Lindell was one of the foremost conspiracy theorists in pushing claims that the election was stolen from Donald Trump.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
In two rooms upstairs, there were hundreds of works: from art-school sketches and preparatory crayon drawings to large-scale, fully realized paintings that had taken Orlik months to complete.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
17 June 2025
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That makes the Gold Cup, a three-week tournament with group play and a single-elimination knockout stage, an important preparatory test for the three hosts even if the field is less than stellar.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
The June 10 vote by the nation’s largest Protestant denomination represents a doubling down on issues of gender and sexuality as the predominant group of evangelical Christians signals the SBC’s hopes of replicating the successful campaign to overturn Roe v. Wade.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
12 June 2025
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The predominant toxin associated with FHB infections in the United States is deoxynivalenol (DON), which is also known as vomitoxin because consumption can cause vomiting.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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