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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show current usage.
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Recent Examples of primarily
Officials said in a news release last year that primarily Ponderosa pine would be left in the area, which are more resistant to pests.
—
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026
While the sterile insect release method relies primarily on sterile males reproducing with wild females, sterile male and female flies are often released at once for practical reasons.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 June 2026
This requirement often surprises applicants who have spent significant time outside the workforce or who worked primarily in jobs that did not pay into Social Security.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 June 2026
These products work primarily by accelerating skin cell turnover.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 10 June 2026
While the sterile insect release method relies primarily on sterile males reproducing with wild females, sterile male and female flies are often released at once for practical reasons.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 June 2026
This requirement often surprises applicants who have spent significant time outside the workforce or who worked primarily in jobs that did not pay into Social Security.
—Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 10 June 2026
These products work primarily by accelerating skin cell turnover.
—Sherri Gordon, Health, 10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily
Adverb
-
Radical approaches to what is precious and what is worthless—or appraisal—have always been more than the inversion of that which is useless made priceless, what was originally meant to be ephemeral made timeless.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
It was announced a few days later that the Iranian authorities had decided to reactivate a six-year sentence originally meted out to Panahi in 2010 alongside a 20-year filmmaking and travel ban.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
7 June 2026
Adverb
-
How private money helps bankroll the LAPD Like other big-city police forces, the LAPD has long turned to wealthy boosters to supplement its multibillion-dollar annual budget, which mainly goes toward salaries and other payroll costs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Regional identity is important in Georgia — though he was mainly raised in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, Kvaratskhelia’s family are Mingrelian, an ethnic group from the country’s west.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adverb
-
That paucity of new tuners — there were just six original musicals in the season, and only two were viable candidates for the top award — meant that the Tonys for artistic achievement in musicals mostly went to revivals.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
As for accessories, Gerber went mostly minimal, making her strapless Alaïa dress the focal point of her look.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
8 June 2026
Adverb
-
That said, there are some Crocs are chiefly marketed toward either men or women, namely sneakers for men and wedges for women, and focus on men’s or women’s sizes.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
In a probing piece for The New Yorker, journalist Jessica Winter took a hard look at Burden’s financial profile—and incidentally turned up some holes in the narrative that has defined her divorce as tragic for chiefly financial reasons.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Adverb
-
As a row of kids delighted in mixing cotton candy and frozen lemonade into an only-at-the-ballpark dessert, the usher alerted the parents that a mass of boisterous and predominantly shirtless men soon would be assembling in a nearby section.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
The new map moved predominantly Black neighbors into white majority districts and split Wasserman Schultz’s former district five ways, leading her to launch a campaign for the 20th District.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
Ultimately, all three companies reported solid quarterly results and forward guidance, and Wall Street analysts largely increased their price targets.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
The exact bloom time depends largely on your climate.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
4 June 2026
Adverb
-
But it is being facilitated by doctors and specialized pharmacies that are principally regulated at the state level, legal experts say, as well as unregulated sources that operate outside the typical guardrails designed to assure drug quality.—
Daniel Gilbert,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primarily. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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