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 These machines etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers, a critical part in the process of producing semiconductors, and are primarily made by Dutch manufacturer ASML. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026 Designing a podcast studio was new for Moser, whose work is primarily residential. — Genevieve Walker, Architectural Digest, 2 Aug. 2026 Brun was primarily supplied by Maluelue Umu, a bald Samoan man with ties to the USO prison gang, whom Brun had met during his days volunteering at the jail. — Guthrie Scrimgeour, Rolling Stone, 2 Aug. 2026 Instead, Todaro argues, the contest is primarily about competing approaches to housing policy and how government should finance progressive priorities. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primarily

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily

Adverb

The case, which was originally filed in 2020, was settled later in 2023 by the client working with his new lawyer.

— Rafael Olmeda, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
But economists originally developed the production possibilities frontier to describe the choices facing entire economies.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of originally

Adverb

These were large, costly machines owned mainly by governments, universities and major corporations.

— Gerui Wang, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
In 2022, about 67 percent of North Bay Village voters approved a $60 million bond, mainly to raise roads, and any planning now assumes that by 2060, sea levels will have risen by two feet.

— Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

In the neighborhood, which is actually the oldest part of Prague, there are mostly residential buildings, embassies, and local offices.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
Many skeptics see a contradiction in high-achieving, mostly white young voters employing rhetoric about labor and solidarity.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Building a network is capital intensive, requiring continuous, steady investment in both towers and spectrum —- drawing capital away from businesses that investors more richly reward, chiefly AI.

— Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 29 July 2026
But Elliot’s best argument is ultimately himself—chiefly, his own vigorous libido, which his workaholic medical-student girlfriend, Minerva (a deader-than-deadpan Charli XCX), has long since lost interest in satiating.

— Justin Chang, New Yorker, 24 July 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

Lake was also the only Black woman in a field of exclusively male, predominantly white candidates for the county’s top seat.

— Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Their active roster is predominantly right-handed, which clogs up some of the lineup decisions for Roberts.

— Katie Woo, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

The Frenchman scored more league goals than any other Liverpool player last season, but that was largely with Isak on the sidelines.

— Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Friday’s report will likely underscore that the job market remains stable but in a low-flow state, with non-healthcare hiring a little sluggish and the unemployment rate largely unchanged.

— Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

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
Opposition is growing in the soccer world to a plan by the sport’s governing body, FIFA, to spin off its events, principally the World Cup, as a separate commercial entity and invite investors to take a stake in it.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 29 July 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 8 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of primarily

adverb

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