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

Historically, Nintendo has primarily marketed its games to children, with an emphasis on the family-friendly market. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 10 Sep. 2026

Unlike traditional taxidermy, preservation uses freeze-drying to capture a moment in time and maintains your pet primarily in their organic form. — Yvonne Villasenor, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

As one of the three colorways that conformed with the NBA’s uniform regulations, the sneaker is rendered primarily in white. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2026

Instead, access is based primarily on the visitor’s eligibility for TSA PreCheck screening and approval for Gateside. — Bailey Berg, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Sep. 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