primarily

American  

[prahy-mair-uh-lee, -mer-, prahy-mer-uh-lee, -mer-uh-] / praɪˈmɛər ə li, -ˈmɛr-, ˈpraɪ mɛr ə li, -mər ə- /

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.

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primarily British  

/ ˈpraɪmərəlɪ /

adverb

1. principally; chiefly; mainly

2. at first; originally

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Etymology

Origin of primarily

First recorded in 1610–20; primary + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

The company had previously landed and reused the booster for the smaller New Shepard vehicle primarily used for short space tourism trips.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

"Great Yarmouth's in a really unique situation at the moment, primarily due to deprivation, which really stems from Great Yarmouth being primarily a seaside holiday destination," Hubbard said.

From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026

What I saw, primarily, were mobile-home parks, next to Ben Hill Griffin Elementary.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

I’ve been primarily stocking up on — and eating — whole heads of garlic, which remain a kitchen essential year-round.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

In this, somewhat unexpectedly, he was opposed by T. H. Huxley, who believed that museums should be primarily research institutes.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson