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 Granada Center high-rise, occupied primarily by Loyola University, now stands on the site. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Without a studio machine making decisions based primarily on commercial expectations, filmmakers have more room to tell a story on their own terms. — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 The news has inflamed debate over the British government’s unprecedented decision to use terrorism powers to ban a group primarily known for property damage and disruption. — Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 Holden’s ear for beats has steadily improved to fit his breakneck delivery since 2022, peaking with 2025’s Mulberry Silk Road, which was primarily laced by German producer 2000 Souls and executive-produced by Marciano. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primarily

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primarily

Adverb

For some young investors, that means money originally allocated to long-term strategies is being funneled to activities built around immediate outcomes.

— Aneri Jambusaria, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
The Vatican had originally estimated a weeklong hospital stay, and had canceled his audiences through Tuesday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of originally

Adverb

What to do nearby The Algarve is mainly populated with beach resorts—and most are much larger than this one.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Reps for Busfield, who has been out on bond and mainly on the East Coast since the beginning of the year, and his main lawyer Larry Stein did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on the news.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of mainly

Adverb

People went through the admission and security checkpoints without issues, and the event’s early evening acts enjoyed mostly dry stages with light, intermittent rain.

— Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2026
Though their loss to the Vikings was mostly to a backup quarterback there as well.

— OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of mostly

Adverb

Although the strategic consequences of their actions may ultimately benefit Iran in its own regional and international conflicts, the Houthis see their military campaign against Saudi Arabia chiefly as an act of national defense.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The animation of the original series was overseen by three South Korean studios, chiefly JM Animation in the early seasons and MOI Animation in the latter ones.

— Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of chiefly

Adverb

As the military-style helicopter hovered above them, attendees from the rural, predominantly Latino community, began to get nervous.

— Philip Wang, Time, 19 Oct. 2026
While bold in its coloring, the new Santa style isn’t the first time Michael Jordan’s classic Air Jordan 3 has been given a predominantly red makeover.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

Advertisement France has never seen so many violent incidents in a movement made up largely of high school students.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Violent crime concentrates in poor neighborhoods, and largely because of our history, Black Americans are far more likely than white Americans to live in them.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

That shift carries potential implications for concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI) research, which has relied principally on federal support, particularly from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026
The whole city ends up bearing the brunt of astronomical housing prices that, whatever their other causes, are principally downstream from a housing market that quite simply cannot keep up with demand.

— New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of primarily

adverb

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