as in chiefly
for the most part
the tourists were principally concerned with the quantity of the food, and only secondarily with the quality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of principally
Jhonatan’s story echoes that of many Colombian fighters, driven by a sense of duty, but shaped principally by economic insecurity that makes enlisting abroad a more viable and lucrative option.
—
Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
While the gang has principally focused on human trafficking and other crimes targeting migrants, it has also been linked to extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and drug smuggling, according to the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
In their place, video-first talk formats have triumphed, with podcasting now principally looking more like daytime radio or, for that matter, television.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
That meant himself and Edu, principally, and Marinakis, too, as the man who could never have foreseen this drama when the Brazilian, formerly Arsenal’s sporting director, was announced in his new role on July 7.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Rebecca Johns, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2025
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
While the gang has principally focused on human trafficking and other crimes targeting migrants, it has also been linked to extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and drug smuggling, according to the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
In their place, video-first talk formats have triumphed, with podcasting now principally looking more like daytime radio or, for that matter, television.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
That meant himself and Edu, principally, and Marinakis, too, as the man who could never have foreseen this drama when the Brazilian, formerly Arsenal’s sporting director, was announced in his new role on July 7.
—Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principally
Adverb
-
The specialty retailer’s chief financial officer, Robert Ball, said Abercrombie has seen about $5 million in adverse impact from tariffs during the second quarter, chiefly manifested in the cost of sales, and expects $90 million net impact from tariffs for the year.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Iranian contribution was leveraging the R&D from elsewhere in Iran’s area of operations—chiefly Lebanon—and multiplying the Iraqis’ lethality.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The contributions mainly came on special teams.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This increase in unemployment was mainly due to relatively positive reasons, with job gains of 288,000 in the household survey and an increase of 436,000 in the labor force.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Mercenaries are defined as soldiers who are contracted by third parties unaffiliated with a nation’s armed forces and motivated primarily by private gain.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Several private groups have launched their own satellites to measure atmospheric chemicals, but these have primarily focused on detecting localized methane emissions for regulatory purposes, and not on global trends.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Natural gas is composed mostly of climate-warming methane but also contains other gases such as hydrogen sulfide, which is deadly at high concentrations.—
ProPublica,
ProPublica,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The $81 million deal is mostly being paid with Tempus common stock.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The area where the shooting occurred is largely commercial, including vehicle service, recycling and trucking companies.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Sep. 2025
-
The play was high level, and both quarterbacks largely excelled.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The group advocates for improving the quality of life and ensuring safer streets in the predominantly immigrant neighborhood.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Carlos Castillo, superintendent of Fresno Unified School District, which has a large, predominantly Hispanic immigrant population.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Principally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principally. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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