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

In the statement, Skydance said savings would come primarily from combining technology and other operations, such as negotiating deals with suppliers and reducing overlapping marketing expenses as well as consolidating real estate. — Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026

On another front, because red diesel is currently distributed primarily through agricultural cooperatives and specialized fueling hubs, expanding its throughput across mainstream highway truck stops presents immediate operational hurdles. — CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Currently, however, AI is primarily being used for ICE and other surveillance, drone warfare targeting and potential dynamic pricing at places like McDonald’s. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

However, Greater China footwear ASPs were flat for the quarter, mostly due to lower discounts that were offset primarily by channel mix. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 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