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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company has billions in government contracts, primarily with NASA and the Pentagon. April Rubin, Axios, 18 Feb. 2025 The 15th and 25th anniversary shows were primarily made up of cast members introducing archival clips. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Feb. 2025 Smith has primarily relied on his fastball and slider. Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025 With a couple of notable exceptions, the three-hour special primarily revived recurring segments from the past 20 years. Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for primarily 

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 20 Feb. 2025.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!