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 warning signs of identity theft can be easy to miss, especially when fraudulent activity happens outside your primary financial accounts. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026 Asked how to prevent Social Security cuts during an August 2026 primary debate, Hageman said growing the economy, creating jobs, and getting more people into the workforce would help shore up the program. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2026 That’s one of the primary reasons Mayor-elect Nithya Raman will get a chance to do what her predecessors could not. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026 Plus, with back-to-back Olympic silvers, France has emerged as the primary threat to American basketball supremacy on the international stage. — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary

Adjective

In 2019, a train lost control while approaching Cairo’s main station in Ramses Square, igniting a fire that killed 25 people.

— Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2026
Tens of thousands of people packed Florida’s main square for the Mass under brilliant blue skies, some walking for several kilometers (miles) to reach the site.

— Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of main

Adjective

In her remarks, Wintour made the evening’s only direct reference to the midterms, reminiscing about attending a fundraising event for James Talarico, who successfully flipped Texas in the race for the Senate last night, alongside Burch.

— José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 5 Nov. 2026
In 1994, Defense Secretary Les Aspin rescinded the risk rule policy but kept in place the exclusion that barred women from serving in direct ground combat units below the brigade level.

— James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of direct

Adjective

Lindsey Cobia, another longtime Newsom aide, and Kyle Layman, Becerra’s chief campaign strategist, will serve as senior advisers.

— Liam Russell, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2026
Russia’s chief negotiator is Medinsky, a Putin aide who has led Moscow’s team since the first full-fledged peace negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul in March 2022, although exploratory talks took place earlier in neighboring Belarus.

— Bassam Hatoum, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026

Definition of chief

Adjective

To prevent the seed heads from reseeding, do a preliminary light prune by trimming off the tops in fall, then cut the clumps back fully in spring.

— The Spruce, The Spruce, 8 Nov. 2026
Some Arizona cities have agreed to fund preliminary work to reduce reliance on the Colorado River by expanding an existing dam on the Verde River to capture runoff from storms, Svoma said.

— Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026

Definition of preliminary

Adjective

In these regions, the predominant ailments are HIV/AIDS, premature birth and birth trauma, congenital anomalies and injuries.

— Emilee Flynn, The Conversation, 3 Nov. 2026
Another complicating factor is that H1N1 has been the dominant strain this year, compared to the previous few years when the H3N2 strain was the predominant one.

— Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominant

Adjective

There’s non-kaiju human death, too, including a flashback to the immediate aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing in which a bloodied grandfather discovers the charred remains of his daughter and grandson.

— James Grebey, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Learn More › Two hunting equipment manufacturers, Latitude Outdoors and Hunt Arsenal, have issued immediate stop-use notices following reports of potentially dangerous equipment failures.

— Erik Barber, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of immediate

Adjective

My health and long-term well-being remain my foremost priorities.

— Mike Toole, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
Now its glassy waters are the centerpiece of new glamping cabins that cater to Cuyuna Country, one of the Midwest’s foremost mountain biking destinations.

— Midwest Living, Midwest Living, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of foremost

Adjective

The Finnish Licensing and Supervision Authority ordered Google to halt preparatory activities at Muhos and the Otanmaki site near Kajaani.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
The drawing may have been made as a preparatory study to show a prospective patron before Canaletto completed a related painting.

— Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026