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
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Recent Examples of primary
The General Assembly’s roughly four-and-a-half-month session is scheduled to end May 31, with lawmakers juggling legislative work alongside the March 17 primary election.
—
Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Davis also cites creating empathy as his primary goal with the opera, which will soon be recorded for release as an album.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
The Miami Heat know the sample size is scant, to a man in the aftermath of Saturday night’s putrid 123-99 loss to the Indiana Pacers noting that the game was only the team’s fourth out of 38 with all components of the primary rotation available.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Voters will choose the party nominees in the June 30 primary election.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Davis also cites creating empathy as his primary goal with the opera, which will soon be recorded for release as an album.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
The Miami Heat know the sample size is scant, to a man in the aftermath of Saturday night’s putrid 123-99 loss to the Indiana Pacers noting that the game was only the team’s fourth out of 38 with all components of the primary rotation available.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Voters will choose the party nominees in the June 30 primary election.
—Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
And one of its main ingredients was a hair product – Afro Sheen.—
Sonari Glinton,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Then the Orion capsule will fire up its main thruster and shoot off towards the Moon on its 240,000-mile, four-day journey.—
The Week,
TheWeek,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
That is a direct threat against the people of this state, who dared to vote against him three times, and who continue to stand up for freedom with courage and empathy and profound grace.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
15 Jan. 2026
-
In the last 12 months, over 60,000 federal employees who had provided direct veteran healthcare services, including us having a care team around us, have been laid off or paid off to retire early.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Adam Yost is an Owens Corning Preferred Contractor and chief technology officer at Elevated Roofing and Siding.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Especially, Devers claimed, because he had been promised long-term positional security when then-chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom signed him to the extension.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Ultimately, the appeals court affirmed the district court’s grant of a preliminary injunction to Hecox, but vacated the injunction applied to the rest of the state.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
10 Jan. 2026
-
He’s scheduled to have a preliminary hearing on Monday.—
Jon Haworth,
ABC News,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The highly skilled team — including neonatologists, nurses, respiratory therapists, and pediatric specialists — provides immediate access to advanced treatments and technology, improving outcomes and offering families peace of mind.—
MemorialCare Medical Group,
Oc Register,
10 Jan. 2026
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The video also appeared to depict the officers did not take immediate steps to ensure that Good received emergency medical care after the shooting took place.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Travelers often worry about coming off as rude or offending someone, but your personal safety is foremost, so trust your gut.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
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Half of the finance chiefs surveyed named digital transformation as their foremost priority for 2026, followed by cash management optimization and capital allocation.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The team will first play a preparatory series in Sri Lanka which begins in two weeks’ time.—
Dominic Fifield,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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They were discovered during preparatory work for road construction.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Rail transport remained the predominant mode of travel in 1920s America.—
Eric DuVall,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Republicans argued race was a predominant factor in drawing the district boundaries, in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments.—
Nidia Cavazos,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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