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

Cotton told the Los Angeles Times that filming primarily takes place in the castle's downstairs portion. —Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 15 Jan. 2026

And how has that censorship, primarily in European languages, influenced self-censorship within the Syrian writing in Arabic or otherwise? —Literary Hub, 15 Jan. 2026

The project was funded primarily through California’s Homekey+ grant program. —Walker Armstrong, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026

Profits flowed primarily to large corporations and foreign interests, leaving long-term economic scars. —Lindsey Granger, The Hill, 14 Jan. 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