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 All the components that go into a data center, from HVAC systems to tubing and wiring and semiconductors, arrive primarily by truck (or train and then truck). — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 5 Sep. 2026 Another official argument is that terrorism generally involves political or ideological aims, while cartels are primarily motivated by profit. — María Verza, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2026 In 2011, Hsu moved to Los Angeles, primarily for a relationship, and to further his career as a skateboarder. — Hua Hsu, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026 The Mercator projection was developed primarily for navigation. — Jewel Bright, NPR, 4 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

The site sits in South Memphis, where the surrounding neighborhoods are predominantly Black and ringed by industry that long predates xAI.

— Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026
Some of the students were children of officers at a Revolutionary Guard base located next to the school; many were local children from Minab, which is populated predominantly by members of Iran’s Baluch ethnic minority.

— Amir Vahdat, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of predominantly

Adverb

In the beginning, the team largely focused on fatal drunk-driving cases, Cherney said.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 4 Sep. 2026
Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, Texas is moving away from a system that based special education funding largely on where and how students received services.

— Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of largely

Adverb

Their focus is principally Travis Kelce, who is reclined on an outdoor sofa, posing for a Tommy Hilfiger campaign.

— Nick Remsen, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2026
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI and LLMs such as ChatGPT, GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and others.

— Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of primarily

adverb

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