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
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
Vertical wind shear, which refers to changes in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere, is often a primary factor in below-average hurricane season activity.
—
Dan Peck, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Meant to evoke a medieval woodland, the installation will be composed of plants and trees typically found in East Sussex, where the Battle of Hastings—the primary subject of the tapestry—was fought in 1066 CE.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Voting in Georgia's primary election is underway and thousands of people across the state have already cast their ballots in what will be a busy political year for the Peach State.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 May 2026
For that reason, the study failed to achieve its primary efficacy goal, which was a dose response.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Dan Peck, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Meant to evoke a medieval woodland, the installation will be composed of plants and trees typically found in East Sussex, where the Battle of Hastings—the primary subject of the tapestry—was fought in 1066 CE.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Voting in Georgia's primary election is underway and thousands of people across the state have already cast their ballots in what will be a busy political year for the Peach State.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 May 2026
For that reason, the study failed to achieve its primary efficacy goal, which was a dose response.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
This bag has an enormous main compartment that can hold bulky clothing items, a laptop compartment that keeps electronics tidy and folds down flat for easy packing, and multiple front-access pockets packed with slots of all shapes and sizes.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
24 May 2026
-
This live service push has been nothing short of a disaster with its main bright spot being a game not even made by a Sony studio.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Its direct proximity to subway access also improves mobility around the city for many travelers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
Ephemera is so often illustrative of the inner life of a character, a direct, beating correlative of the contents of their hearts.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kerry Haigh, the chief championships director at the PGA responsible for creating the test, made full use of the severely undulated greens at Aronimink that contributed to the bunched leaderboard, and required control of every shot from tee-to-green.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
The judge also found that the public interest strongly favors transparency, particularly, the court noted, when the chief election official is himself a candidate in the election being administered.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to a preliminary investigation, four suspects wearing hoodies and gloves used hammers to smash a display case and stole jewelry.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Outside of a track and field preliminary meet at Yorba Linda High on Saturday, an anti-transgender advocacy group called Save Girls’ Sports organized a protest against California policies that allow transgender athletes to compete based on their gender identity.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
All visitors who paid for entry were told that only kind words would be tolerated, and any hurtful words or curses would result in immediate expulsion from the tent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
The franchise stunned the NBA by trading away cornerstone Luka Dončić, plunging the roster into an immediate identity crisis.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
William Phillips,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
Activities As a union, the NUJ’s foremost duty is to its members.—
Idir Ouahes,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
It will also be used as a test-bed for long-term habitation and preparatory work for permanent bases.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
Najib was the only one of the defendants who was arrested and present in person in court Sunday for a preparatory session in the trial, which will continue next month.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Finding existential pain on the daybeds would not be CBS’s predominant concern that first season.—
Anna Peele,
Vulture,
20 May 2026
-
But a centennial is as good a time as any to fill in what the predominant narrative often leaves out.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
