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
Avoiding the Pitfalls of Greenwashing Greenwashing—the practice of misleading consumers about environmental efforts—was coined by environmentalist Jay Westerveld nearly 40 years ago, when hotels promoted towel reuse as an environmental initiative while primarily aiming to cut costs.
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What Is Down?
Down refers to the soft, fluffy undercoating found on waterfowl, primarily ducks and geese.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
While primarily measured in his actions, Cromwell is outwardly exhausted.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
Its resorts operate primarily under the Caesars, Harrah’s, Horseshoe and Eldorado brand names.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 22 Mar. 2025
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Anjali Chaudhry, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2025
The 5 Best Comforter Sets, According To Our Testing
What Is Down?
Down refers to the soft, fluffy undercoating found on waterfowl, primarily ducks and geese.
—Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
While primarily measured in his actions, Cromwell is outwardly exhausted.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 23 Mar. 2025
Its resorts operate primarily under the Caesars, Harrah’s, Horseshoe and Eldorado brand names.
—Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 22 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 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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