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

Example Sentences

Under Part A, which covers inpatient hospital care and is financed primarily by the payroll tax, beneficiaries will face a deductible of $1,736 in 2026.

From MarketWatch

Since last summer, FAT Brands has been in talks with an ad hoc group of lenders to restructure its debt of some $1.4 billion out of court, a sum primarily held in special purpose vehicles.

From The Wall Street Journal

The teenager is primarily a left‑footed centre‑forward but can play on either flank.

From BBC

Tesla is the outlier in this group: AI spending matters for autonomy and manufacturing automation, but investors still anchor primarily on automotive margins and production efficiency.

From MarketWatch

American Airlines said the shutdown primarily hit domestic operations, where passenger unit revenue fell 2.5%.

From The Wall Street Journal