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

Diggy Coit, who scored 43 points Sunday in Maryland's win over Penn State, was held to 15 points and guarded primarily by Stojakovic. —CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

While primarily developed for treating battlefield wounds, the researchers say that AGCL can naturally be used in standard emergency medicine and surgical applications. —New Atlas, 21 Jan. 2026

For more than a century, the town was primarily a coal-mining community. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 21 Jan. 2026

While primarily domestic, DIA also offers nonstop flights to 34 international destinations in 19 countries, for a total of 234 destinations. —Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 21 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