primarily

adverb

pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē 

also prə-

chiefly British ˈprī-mə-rə-lē

1

: for the most part : chiefly

… has now become primarily a residential town …

—S. P. B. Mais

2

: in the first place : originally

Synonyms of primarily

• originally

Examples of primarily in a Sentence

the university was primarily an agricultural college when it was founded over two centuries ago

ketchup is primarily made from tomatoes

Recent Examples on the Web

National Hurricane Center data shows that Polo has reached speeds comparable to only a few hurricanes to form in the region in recent decades, primarily Hurricane Patricia in 2015, which reached 215 mph. — Desiree Brooks, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Passengers are savvy travelers, primarily American, who relish cruising and, with this line, truly appreciate fine food and wine. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Even the best helmets and other gear can give a false sense of security, Nowinski says, because they’re primarily designed to reduce skull fracture and linear acceleration, not the rotational acceleration that leads to CTE. — Alexandra Pattillo, Scientific American, 23 Sep. 2026

According to multiple media reports, Japan's SoftBank Group plans to issue over 11 billion dollars in bonds, primarily to fund an additional investment in OpenAI. — CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

primary entry 1 + -ly entry 2

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primarily

• contrarily
• summarily
• airily
• caroli
• merrily
• verily
• warily
• wearily
• arbitrarily
• customarily
• militarily
• momentarily

Kids Definition

primarily

adverb

pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē 

1

: for the most part : chiefly

2

: in the first place : originally