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
The dramatic increase took place primarily in the period following October 7, but the larger point is that what felt, for many years, like a marginal social pathology has returned as a visible feature of public life.
—
Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
The rise in energy has been primarily driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which a fifth of global oil transits.
—Tiago Ventura, Time, 20 May 2026
Youth sports in Haiti Haiti’s return to the World Cup has cast a spotlight on the importance of youth sports in a country where athletics are primarily organized through independent academies and clubs like Millet’s Olympique École de Football.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Bezos lives primarily in Miami, but his companies are headquartered in Washington state.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Michael W. Sonnenfeldt, The Atlantic, 20 May 2026
The rise in energy has been primarily driven by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which a fifth of global oil transits.
—Tiago Ventura, Time, 20 May 2026
Youth sports in Haiti Haiti’s return to the World Cup has cast a spotlight on the importance of youth sports in a country where athletics are primarily organized through independent academies and clubs like Millet’s Olympique École de Football.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Bezos lives primarily in Miami, but his companies are headquartered in Washington state.
—Steve Kopack, NBC news, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily
Adverb
-
There is, of course, the ever-tightening constraints of the international publishing market that limit the reach of any book not either a) originally published in English or b) published in a country with the money to ensure its translation and distribution into English.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
Tobia Scarpa, architect and designer, who is the son of Venetian architect and design god Carlo Scarpa was summoned back by FLOS at age 91 to tweak the design of his Seki-Han, a lamp originally issued from 1963 to 1966.—
Anthony Paletta,
Curbed,
17 May 2026
Adverb
-
One of those regional officials said the strikes by Saudi Arabia targeted hideouts of Iraqi militias, mainly Kataib Hezbollah, after Riyadh assessed that most of the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from neighboring Iraq.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
The Africa Finance Corporation — which mainly deploys capital for infrastructure projects — will invest $100 million in venture capital firms that back technology companies on the continent.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
Clarke lives in Gowanus, Brooklyn’s mostly industrial neighborhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
The audience was predominantly men, mostly clad in team jerseys and drinking twenty-dollar beers.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Adverb
-
Magazines, which had previously been chiefly supported by subscribers, were now also supported by advertising.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
21 May 2026
-
This has been going on for years, emanating chiefly from the far right.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
The charges have Arcadia’s predominantly Asian American community worried about potential anti-Asian backlash, though city officials emphasize that Wang’s alleged misconduct occurred before her 2022 election to the City Council.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
In 2022, an 18-year-old white supremacist wearing body armor opened fire in a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 people before being taken into custody.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
The candidates themselves seemed low-energy, even with their jabs — which were largely directed at Becerra, as Mark said.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
Our former swing state now has become a red state through and through thanks largely to the new congressional districts which are stretched to inane proportions.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
The overwhelming majority of NFL teams are principally owned and run by white men.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
19 May 2026
-
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primarily. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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