Synonyms of primarily

primarily

adverb

prī-ˈmer-ə-lē 

1

as in originally

in the beginning

the university was primarily an agricultural college when it was founded over two centuries ago

Synonyms & Similar Words

• originally
• initially
• at first
• to start with
• firstly
• incipiently
• primitively

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• finally
• ultimately
• lastly

2

as in mainly

for the most part

ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• mainly
• mostly
• chiefly
• predominantly
• largely
• principally
• basically
• generally
• substantially
• usually
• normally
• typically
• partly
• in general
• commonly
• most
• on the whole
• partially
• practically
• by and large
• altogether
• overall
• broadly
• virtually
• frequently
• nearly
• approximately
• somewhat
• roughly
• ordinarily
• rather
• more or less
• much
• some
• next to
• about
• plus or minus
• well-nigh
• nigh
• near
• incompletely

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• entirely
• wholly
• fully
• completely
• perfectly
• totally
• thoroughly
• just
• hardly
• barely
• scarcely
• minimally
• absolutely
• marginally
• categorically
• unqualifiedly

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of primarily

Finland and Sweden joined NATO members Denmark, Iceland, and Norway in establishing the Nordic Defense Cooperation, primarily in hopes of cutting procurement costs. — Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

External revenue rose $118 million from the prior quarter to $411 million, though the increase was primarily due to a non-recurring customer program. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026

The company said the lower loss was driven primarily by higher delivery volumes and an improved per-unit margin. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Sheriff’s offices in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Jacksonville and in Pinellas and Broward counties reserve pursuits primarily for violent felons, with some exceptions for other emergencies. — Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026