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
S. P. B. Mais2
: 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
On Earth, the gases are only produced by life, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton, according to the researchers.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
There’s the inevitable factor of the character being 100 percent secondary to Ray (this is primarily Brian Tyree Henry’s joint, after all, welcome recurring buddy-movie dynamic of Henry and Wagner Moura notwithstanding).
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
The 22-year-old is also popular on social media, primarily on TikTok and Instagram.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
In its quarterly letter to shareholders, Netflix said the revenue was driven primarily by membership growth and higher pricing.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primarily
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Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
There’s the inevitable factor of the character being 100 percent secondary to Ray (this is primarily Brian Tyree Henry’s joint, after all, welcome recurring buddy-movie dynamic of Henry and Wagner Moura notwithstanding).
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 18 Apr. 2025
The 22-year-old is also popular on social media, primarily on TikTok and Instagram.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2025
In its quarterly letter to shareholders, Netflix said the revenue was driven primarily by membership growth and higher pricing.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primarily
Cite this Entry
“Primarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primarily. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
primarily
adverb
pri·mar·i·ly
prī-ˈmer-ə-lē
1
: for the most part : chiefly
2
: in the first place : originally
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