PRIMARILY Synonyms: 67 Similar and Opposite Words

primarily

adverb

prī-ˈmer-ə-lē

Definition of primarily

as in originally

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in mainly

for the most part ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of primarily Located in Johnson County, the 121st district falls primarily between K-7 and County Line Road, from K-10 to 159th Street. — Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2026 Spaceballs is primarily a parody of the original Star Wars trilogy. — Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 26 July 2026 That means focusing primarily on the roots and areas where oil tends to accumulate, such as the crown, hairline and part. — Daryl Austin, USA Today, 25 July 2026 The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder finished his 17-year career with 377 home runs, which is the most by any player who primarily played second base in his career. — Jose De Jesus Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for primarily

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily

Adverb

David Tepper, the billionaire hedge fund manager originally from Pittsburgh, owns the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and the MLS’s Charlotte FC.

— Alex Zietlow July 28, Charlotte Observer, 28 July 2026
He’d originally been scheduled to tape in April but was forced to push while healing from a broken arm.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 27 July 2026

Definition of originally

Adverb

Up until then, Silbiger had mainly documented the inner workings of Capitol Hill and the White House as a freelance photojournalist in Washington, DC.

— Sarah Silbiger, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Earlier research works explored this phenomenon mainly in isolated laboratory systems or as a way to deliberately control quantum states.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

Hughes’ fall on this list mostly stems from major growth from others above him and the lack of term left on his deal.

— Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
That case focused mostly on the details of the knife attack itself; the federal one delves more into questions of motive.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

But Elliot’s best argument is ultimately himself—chiefly, his own vigorous libido, which his workaholic medical-student girlfriend, Minerva (a deader-than-deadpan Charli XCX), has long since lost interest in satiating.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 July 2026
But this is surely the least fabled World Cup in history, and remembered chiefly for the political tensions shortly before the following year’s outbreak of the Second World War.

— Michael Cox, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

While the lawn remained mostly empty, the reserved seating area was largely full.

— Jamie Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
That lawsuit names coho salmon, spotted owls, as well as a threatened seabird, the marbled murrelet, which lives largely out at sea but returns to old-growth coastal trees to nest, as species threatened by the change.

— Lizzie Kane, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

The cast is principally composed of UC Irvine students, past and present, with a few guest artists in the mix.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
Although some of these new institutions may adopt the name college, they won't be architected around classrooms and their business model won't be principally tuition-based.

— Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

primal

primarily

primary

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Style

“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primarily. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of primarily

adverb

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