primarily
Americanadverb
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essentially; mostly; chiefly; principally.
They live primarily from farming.
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in the first instance; at first; originally.
Primarily a doctor, he later became a lawyer.
adverb
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principally; chiefly; mainly
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at first; originally
Etymology
Origin of primarily
Explanation
Primarily means "for the most part." If in the summer, you primarily work at a restaurant, this is the thing you do most, though you also might hang out with friends, exercise, and read books. You can use the adverb primarily any time you'd use the word "mainly" — today, many people rely primarily on the Internet to get their news. This doesn't mean they never read newspapers or watch television news, but most of the time, they learn about current events online. The Latin root of primarily is primus, which means first — most important, most likely, or what you choose before anything else.
Vocabulary lists containing primarily
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 3
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 2
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It is primarily tasked with repairing and fortifying the city’s more than 210,000 streetlamps — a frequent target of copper wire thieves — and maintaining its network of electrical vehicle charging stations.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
For those who know of exorcisms primarily from horror movies, the news of a professional exorcist in the nation’s capital causing drama may have been a bit confounding.
From Slate • Jun. 8, 2026
Earlier this year, Italy tightened its citizenship-by-descent rules, restricting eligibility primarily to those with Italian parents or grandparents.
From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026
Pride celebrations continue to draw millions of participants nationwide, and many of the new observances have generated attention primarily because of the controversy surrounding them.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
He was primarily opposed to logging companies,” he said, reading.
From "City Spies" by James Ponti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
