1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primary concern for many house hunters is the asking price
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in chief
highest in rank or authority
the movie's primary screenwriter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in preliminary
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
a few minutes of primary instruction in the use of our diving gear before we actually got into the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of primary
Here's how to track snowplows in Michigan In Wayne County, road-clearing trucks first prioritize freeways, then move to county primary and secondary roads, subdivisions and gravel roads, in that order, Tomocik said.
—
Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Unlike, say, salicylic acid, its primary function in skin doesn't involve exfoliation.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 29 Jan. 2026
That length exposes Simon himself as the film’s primary weakness.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
For most of the holdouts, their condos at Biscayne 21 were their primary residences, not second homes or investment properties.
—Catherine Odom
january 29, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Unlike, say, salicylic acid, its primary function in skin doesn't involve exfoliation.
—Deanna Pai, Allure, 29 Jan. 2026
That length exposes Simon himself as the film’s primary weakness.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026
For most of the holdouts, their condos at Biscayne 21 were their primary residences, not second homes or investment properties.
—Catherine Odom
january 29, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
But that wasn’t his main concern.—
Tami Luhby,
CNN Money,
1 Feb. 2026
-
What separates Hush from other slasher films of its ilk is how Flanagan and Siegel give its main character sharp instincts and depth, as well as a frightening use of silence.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Your boss’s boss is your direct line to visibility.—
Sho Dewan,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
If dark matter’s only interactions are gravitational, direct detection might truly be a physical impossibility for us.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Spurs are still reeling and trying to find their feet after a dizzying amount of change at executive level over the last 12 months, which includes the departures of executive chairman Daniel Levy and chief football officer Scott Munn, with the Lewis family reasserting control of daily operations.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Disney said Walden has been promoted to a new role — president and chief creative officer — also effective March 18.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Provincial transport department official Siboniso Duma said in a statement that 11 people, including a schoolchild, died at the scene, although that was according to preliminary information.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The coroner also said the preliminary cause of death included intrauterine fetal demise caused by her injuries.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
No official confirmation has been issued by Libyan authorities, and there has been no immediate comment from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has long sought the younger Gadhafi’s arrest on charges of crimes against humanity.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
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Migliano said his estimates were calculated using the NetBlocks COST tool, an economic model that measures the immediate impact on a nation’s gross domestic product when its digital economy is forced offline.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Live and Let Die also notably broke the color barrier, with Bond’s relationship with a Black woman, Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry), being among the foremost mainstream films to feature an interracial romance.—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Even now the Schrödinger equation remains physicists’ foremost window into the quantum realm.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Within Orthodox circles in Argentina, preparatory stages for conversion may take place in the country, but the beit din, or rabbinical court, that validates them operates in Israel.—
Juan Melamed,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
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Countries have been working through many of those questions at preparatory meetings, with a final session scheduled for late March.—
Annika Hammerschlag,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
By the next day, anger and fear felt like the predominant emotional states.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Centuries ago, exhalations of humans and animals, in addition to that derived from natural processes such as decay and forest fires, may have been predominant.—
Beronda L. Montgomery,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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