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
With a candidate filing deadline for the state's 2026 primary election coming up this December, a Supreme Court order from last year keeps the congressional map with two majority-Black districts in effect at least for now.
—
Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 28 June 2025
Riveted by the primary election Many of New York City’s more than 300,000 South Asian residents have been inspired by Mamdani’s extraordinary trajectory.
—Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Tax certainty and predictability are primary concerns for small businesses, and the final bill should reflect that.
—Palmer Schoening, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
Your calendar is your primary tool to navigate this demanding environment.
—Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Hansi Lo Wang, NPR, 28 June 2025
Riveted by the primary election Many of New York City’s more than 300,000 South Asian residents have been inspired by Mamdani’s extraordinary trajectory.
—Terry Tang, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2025
Tax certainty and predictability are primary concerns for small businesses, and the final bill should reflect that.
—Palmer Schoening, Boston Herald, 27 June 2025
Your calendar is your primary tool to navigate this demanding environment.
—Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
The investment firm said Advanced Auto Parts might be losing market share to its main rivals and that the stock appears to be trading at an extended valuation.—
Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
24 June 2025
-
One voter in Greenwich Village told ABC News that concerns about antisemitism were a main driver for his decision to vote for Cuomo.—
Oren Oppenheim,
ABC News,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the Red Carpet Ready Vitamin C Peel truly does give you an immediate glow.—
Kayla Greaves,
Essence,
23 June 2025
-
Fire and Rescue officials provided immediate on-scene care for the victim, who was then transported to a local hospital for further treatment.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
Due to the expense, first-time home buyers in San Jose are also getting older, which may impact school enrollment, said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
-
And the Silver chief financial officer, who was expected to be in court with documents, was a no-show.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Where to collect, what to collect, how to collect, how to analyze China's final pick of a landing zone will rely on a review of 86 preliminary landing sites.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
29 June 2025
-
Liza's baby is currently protected from losing U.S. citizenship due to a preliminary injunction issued by a lower court, which will now consider the merit's of Trump's plan.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
He is estimated to have made them about €10m in direct revenue.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
-
The military action was retaliatory, a direct response to the U.S. strikes on nuclear facilities.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
One of the Jet Propulsion Lab’s foremost scientists says the futuristic outpost is still hoping against hope that the president’s plan for NASA will be overturned by Congress.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
-
Giard grew up to become both a voracious reader (with a B.A. in English and American literature from Yale and an M.A. in comparative literature from Boston University) and a foremost chronicler of writers.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Arsenal have their own preparatory plans in Singapore and Hong Kong, while Liverpool and Barcelona are both travelling to Japan, among other countries.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
22 June 2025
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Each participant had, before receiving the psilocybin dose, undergone two preparatory therapy sessions.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Rivera is especially excited by the National Music Theater Conference this year since truly original work is developed there in contrast to the predominant commercial theater trend of basing musicals closely on classic movies or novels.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
-
That is clearly what happened in this redistricting in Louisiana where race was the predominant factor used to draw congressional boundaries.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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