primarily

[prahy-mair-uh-lee, -mer-, prahy-mer-uh-lee, -mer-uh-]

adverb

1. essentially; mostly; chiefly; principally.

   They live primarily from farming.

2. in the first instance; at first; originally.

   Primarily a doctor, he later became a lawyer.

primarily

/ ˈpraɪmərəlɪ /

adverb

1. principally; chiefly; mainly

2. at first; originally

Word History and Origins

Origin of primarily¹

First recorded in 1610–20; primary + -ly

Example Sentences

The police evaluation was based primarily on information given to the force by Dutch police commanders ahead of the game, the MPs heard.

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The company expects to record pre-tax restructuring and charges of up to $90 million tied to the cuts, primarily in severance and related costs.

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As the S&P 500 was approaching its most recent record high in late October, Wall Street was growing concerned about the latest round of gains being powered primarily by a few megacap technology stocks.

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For decades, the silver screen primarily featured women working in offices as secretaries or assistants.

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Smishing is primarily done through two devices; a Sim farm which holds multiple Sim cards, allowing criminals to bombard people with thousands of scam texts.

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