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

• firstly
• initially
• 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

The company said the decline in net revenues was primarily due to lower shipment volumes, an adverse regional mix and price normalization. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 30 Apr. 2025

Abigail Glasgow is a freelance reporter primarily covering the intersection of the criminal legal system with art/design. —Abigail Glasgow, Architectural Digest, 30 Apr. 2025

Wilson played primarily in nickel packages last year, where his coverage ability shined, but his playing time should increase in Year 2 in other packages. —Mike Defabo, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

These initiatives are primarily funded through taxation, which, yes, is high. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 30 Apr. 2025

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