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 The exemption is designed to apply to cars used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions and historical exhibitions. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 Prisoner’s dilemma applied to AI training Let’s consider this exercise in the context of the global AI race, primarily being fought between the United States and China. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 Mass spectrometry primarily reveals the molecular formulas present, and different molecular structures can share the same formula. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026 Tillmon spent the first three years of his college career in Vermillion at the University of South Dakota, primarily playing as a free safety as the Coyotes advanced to the quarterfinals or further in the FCS playoffs all three seasons. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primarily

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily

Adverb

This episode originally aired on May 8th, 2026 Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

— Corey Bridges, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026
The 32-year-old Boeing 767 was originally built to carry passengers and flew for several airlines for more than two decades before being converted to a cargo plane in 2015, according to flight-tracking site Flightradar24.

— Anthony Izaguirre, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of originally

Adverb

In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.

— Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
There are only a handful of performances currently scheduled at the Kennedy Center, mainly at the adjacent facility known as the REACH.

— ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

For motorists with electric vehicles, the average kilowatt hour cost at charging stations in Florida on Sunday rounded up to 41 cents, a rate mostly unchanged since early March.

— News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
Sweaters, which are mostly made in Turkey, retail for $295 to $395 for the core line and $395 to $900 for the Italian collection.

— Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

That would mean that repetition, rather than representation, is chiefly at stake—a hypnotic ritual.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026
Many of the dozens missing in its environs were foreign nationals, chiefly Indian or Indian-origin pilgrims who were returning from, or preparing to make, the journey further into Tibet to Mount Kailash, a holy site for Hindus and Buddhists.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

In the end, the winners were predominantly white and the speeches were inarguably neutral.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2026
Biomass power, predominantly generated by burning wood, is growing globally as countries accelerate their transition to use cleaner energy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

She’s haunted by her divorce from Donn, and her greatest fear is being alone, which is becoming more and more of a real possibility, especially since her family has largely moved away.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Kai-Fu Lee’s AI Superpowers, an influential book published in 2018, largely predicted the current tech battle between the US and China.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Federal regulators already treat it differently from many other digital assets, and the legislation was principally intended to create a broader framework governing how cryptocurrencies are issued, sold and regulated.

— Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Asking an 18- or 21-year-old athlete to sacrifice some portion of a present opportunity for an uncertain benefit that may principally accrue to someone else five or 10 years in the future is an inherently difficult organizing proposition.

— Chris Corr, Sportico.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of principally

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primal

primarily

primary

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“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primarily. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of primarily

adverb

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