PRIMARY Synonyms: 155 Similar and Opposite Words

primary

adjective

ˈprī-ˌmer-ē

Definition of primary

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

as in direct

done or working without something else coming in between a crop failure that was the primary cause of the famine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in chief

highest in rank or authority the movie's primary screenwriter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 primary The vast majority of girls are enrolled in primary education, at a rate higher than for boys. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026 How to find your South Florida polling location Florida is a closed-primary state, meaning voters generally must be registered with a political party to vote in that party's primary. — Sergio Candido, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026 Russell Fry endorses ex-rival Darline Graham after failing to advance to special GOP US Senate primary runoff. — FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The primary suite occupies its own floor with an ocean-facing lanai. — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary

Adjective

For the first time in almost a month, a large tanker last week began loading crude at the western terminal of Iran’s main export hub Kharg Island, Windward said.

— Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
The team behind the project, presented during the second edition of Open Doors with a focus on films from Africa, was one of the two main winners of the Open Doors Grant.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of main

Adjective

Unveiled amid the high-octane glamour and pristine lawns of the Monterey Car Week in California, the Lucid Gravity GT-S is a direct assault on the most lucrative auto segment in North America.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
Unlike countries like Morocco, Egypt and China, Kenya provides limited direct subsidies to cushion electricity prices.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of direct

Adjective

Mohammed Zahidullah, chief sustainability officer at DBL Group, warned that Bangladesh risks losing orders to competitors including India, Pakistan and Vietnam as those sourcing markets move more quickly to adopt renewable energy.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026
Syrianos, previously the global technical director, becomes chief football officer at the City Ground, taking on the role vacated when Ross Wilson departed to join Newcastle last summer.

— Paul Taylor, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of chief

Adjective

An inmate ran out of a preliminary hearing at the Fairfield Courthouse Tuesday afternoon, knocking down a deputy district attorney and making it out of the courtroom before he was quickly apprehended, the Solano County Sheriff's Office said.

— Richard Ramos, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
The filings come in the wake of a week-long preliminary hearing in early July aimed at determining whether there is enough probable cause to send the case to trial.

— Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of preliminary

Adjective

As long as the predominant globe-spanning Navy kept the seas free for everyone, there was no reason to be affiliated with any state.

— Craig Hooper, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
The Odyssey is a story set in the Bronze Age, written in the Iron Age, measured by which metal was the predominant metal that went into weapons of war and other kinds of tools.

— David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 July 2026

Definition of predominant

Adjective

Jeff Nichols is not only one of cinema’s foremost chroniclers of the American South, but is doing his damnedest to revitalize the film scene in his hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
Similarly, the world’s foremost perfumeries haven’t collaborated with elite motorcar brands.

— Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of foremost

Adjective

Prince Gabriel, 22, completed a one-year preparatory course at the National Mathematics & Science College in England before graduating from the Royal Military Academy of Belgium.

— Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
The Western Cape High Court judgment on Friday does not stop the impeachment committee from doing other preparatory work for the pending proceedings.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026