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 Roughly 70% of public companies still operate primarily this way. — Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Cole Martin, who primarily played safety for UCLA last season, slid down to defend the slot, while Malik Hartford played behind him. — Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 8 Aug. 2026 The condition encompasses a group of brain disorders primarily affecting the frontal and temporal lobes, areas associated with personality, behavior and language. — Charlie Carballo, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026 It’s primarily remembered for both introducing the world to James Gunn, who wrote the script and served as associate director. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primarily

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily

Adverb

Cameroon originally failed to qualify for the tournament but earned a spot when the Confederation of African Football decided to expand the tournament to 16 teams in November.

— Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
The Bible is widely read and loved in spite of the fact that most people don’t speak any of the languages in which it was originally written.

— The New Yorker, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of originally

Adverb

The market is still concentrated right now, with US consumers mainly seeing sun-protective clothing in trendy athleisure – think Lululemon, REI and Nike.

— Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Garlic Garlic is a superfood that’s been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, mainly due to its natural immune-supporting properties.

— Lindsay Curtis, HEALTH, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

One unusual thing about the Dead is that the bulk of their oeuvre was penned by non-performing songwriters, chiefly Robert Hunter, who collaborated mainly with Jerry Garcia.

— Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Denise has also been keeping secrets, chiefly about the manuscript for a novel she’s been banging out on a typewriter in the basement, one that happens to be about a woman who fantasizes about leaving her family behind for life in New York.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

Roughly two-thirds of those workers are migrants, predominantly young women recruited from South Asia on three-year contracts.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Aug. 2026
But tensions have opened up between data center boosters and some community organizations that want to see more jobs and economic benefits go to local residents, especially predominantly poor Hispanic farm and food processing workers.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

While the good-paying white-collar jobs in the ‘burbs are getting slashed, the substantial workforce Capital One inherited from Discover in the city of Chicago largely has been spared.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2026
In League Two, tweaks to SCMP were largely thrown out because they were seen as worthless.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Medicaid Fraud Control Units were principally responsible for investigating providers, while also prosecuting the abuse and neglect of patients whose care was billed to Medicaid.

— Ben Zdencanovic, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026
Back in those early days there was talk of Newcastle winning the Premier League in the next five to 10 years, principally from the mouth of Amanda Staveley, a 10 per cent minority partner of PIF who sold her stake and left Tyneside in July 2024.

— Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026

Definition of principally

Browse Nearby Words

primal

primarily

primary

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“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primarily. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of primarily

adverb

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