primarily

adverb

pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē How to pronounce primarily (audio)
 also  prə-,
 chiefly British  ˈprī-mə-rə-lē
1
: for the most part : chiefly
has now become primarily a residential townS. P. B. Mais
2
: in the first place : 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ionescu learned English at school but still primarily speaks Romanian with her family. Ben Pickman, New York Times, 17 June 2025 There are no Republicans in the Senate who represent high-tax, primarily Democratic states like California and New York, and various GOP senators vowed the House's SALT efforts would be reined in by the upper chamber. Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 17 June 2025 Cybersecurity modernization is driven primarily by Threat and Risk Management, Data protection and Unified AI/ML with enhanced security. Harikrishnan Muthukrishnan, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025 Kush + Orange Juice 2 came less than a year after Wiz Owens, a mixtape that was primarily done in collaboration with Sledgren. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for primarily

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of primarily was in 1601

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primarily. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

primarily

adverb
pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē How to pronounce primarily (audio)
1
: for the most part : chiefly
2
: in the first place : originally

More from Merriam-Webster on primarily

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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