primarily

adverb

pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē How to pronounce primarily (audio)
 also  prə-,
 chiefly British  ˈprī-mə-rə-lē
1
: for the most part : chiefly
has now become primarily a residential townS. P. B. Mais
2
: in the first place : 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 Darling said beach events got larger, louder and much more common during the pandemic, primarily as an alternative to bars and restaurants that were closed for many months. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024 The city is forecasting its revenue will increase next year — primarily from increases in property taxes, with the region’s strong home values. Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2024 This, even as his country positions itself as a leader in the fight against climate change which, of course, is primarily driven by the burning of oil and other fossil fuels. Max Bearak, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Barron, who grew up at least partly in the White House but lives primarily outside of the spotlight, turns 18 later this month. Linda Marx, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 No social media before 16 The trap here, as with smartphones, is that each adolescent feels a strong need to open accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and other platforms primarily because that’s where most of their peers are posting and gossiping. Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024 Synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, were involved in more than two-thirds of those deaths. Jen Christensen, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Because Chani appears primarily in the second half of Herbert’s book as Paul adapts to life in the Arrakis desert, Zendaya’s role in Part One served mostly as a set-up to the events of a sequel. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Up until recently, she’s sung primarily in the northeastern U.S., including games at Washington State, Washington, Oregon State, Oregon and Gonzaga universities. The Indianapolis Star, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primarily.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of primarily was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near primarily

Cite this Entry

“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primarily. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

primarily

adverb
pri·​mar·​i·​ly prī-ˈmer-ə-lē How to pronounce primarily (audio)
1
: for the most part : chiefly
2
: in the first place : originally

More from Merriam-Webster on primarily

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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