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
S. P. B. Mais2
: 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
Millennials treat moviegoing as an escape from daily routine, while Gen Z sees it primarily as a social activity.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Blue Diamond still plans to sell a large portion of the property, primarily on the south side of the campus, while retaining the processing and storage facilities for in-shell almonds on the north side.
—Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
While Fanatics has marketing partnerships with other companies, primarily for advertising on the e-commerce site, this is the first that involves the Fanatics One platform.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Historically, sunscreens focused primarily on UVB protection, but the introduction of broad-spectrum formulas added UVA protection, changing the category entirely.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primarily
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Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026
Blue Diamond still plans to sell a large portion of the property, primarily on the south side of the campus, while retaining the processing and storage facilities for in-shell almonds on the north side.
—Sacbee.com, 8 Apr. 2026
While Fanatics has marketing partnerships with other companies, primarily for advertising on the e-commerce site, this is the first that involves the Fanatics One platform.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 8 Apr. 2026
Historically, sunscreens focused primarily on UVB protection, but the introduction of broad-spectrum formulas added UVA protection, changing the category entirely.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Cite this Entry
“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primarily. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
primarily
adverb
pri·mar·i·ly
prī-ˈmer-ə-lē
1
: for the most part : chiefly
2
: in the first place : originally
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