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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mainly
for the most part
ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primarily
Administration officials often argue that in both cases, the president is primarily concerned about foreign interference and its impact on national security.
—
Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025
Grown primarily for its gorgeous foliage, Solomon’s seal's bright green leaves are variegated yellow and cream along the margin.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025
Leaving your bed unmade in the morning offers several potential benefits, primarily related to hygiene and reducing dust mites, which can trigger allergies!!!
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
On Earth, the gases are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton, according to the researchers.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 30 Apr. 2025
Grown primarily for its gorgeous foliage, Solomon’s seal's bright green leaves are variegated yellow and cream along the margin.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 29 Apr. 2025
Leaving your bed unmade in the morning offers several potential benefits, primarily related to hygiene and reducing dust mites, which can trigger allergies!!!
—Jordan Greene, People.com, 29 Apr. 2025
On Earth, the gases are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton, according to the researchers.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily
Adverb
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This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 8:21 PM.—
Ilana Arougheti,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2025
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This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 10:17 PM.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Aruba has been on my bucket list for a while, mainly because of its pristine beaches.—
Dominique Fluker,
Essence,
1 May 2025
-
That will only earn you small, incremental gains, mainly on the individual level.—
Glenn Mathis,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
Preparedness seems impossible: Helene killed more than 200 people, mostly in counties previously thought to have less hurricane risk.—
Barbara Kingsolver,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
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Washington, who the team had used mostly in the nickel, played alongside him.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Computershare said this uplift was thanks chiefly to a 6.6% increase at AstraZeneca.—
Royston Wild,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Of course, not everyone goes to college chiefly to earn a high income — education can be its own reward, after all.—
Alain Sherter,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Asian nations also paid tribute, especially in the predominantly Catholic Philippines, where church bells tolled on Monday across the capital of Manila.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2025
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These architects’ developed an initial three-pronged strategy: to retain the essence of the property’s characteristics, to co-generate design ideas with family members and to build new structures predominantly with materials already on site.—
Tom Mullen,
Forbes.com,
20 Apr. 2025
Adverb
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Its double-digit yield is largely the product of a slumping stock, with shares off by more than 70% over the past few years amid slumping top and bottom lines.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The Trump administration first designated the Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization in 2021, but the designation was revoked by Democratic President Joe Biden, largely to assist with Yemen's humanitarian crisis, often described as one of the worst in the world.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
26 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primarily. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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