primarily

primarily — adverb

1. used for saying that one thing is the most important reason, cause, or feature o

1.adverbB2
Definition

used for saying that one thing is the most important reason, cause, or feature of something compared with others that affect it

Example

Sophia chose to study biology primarily because she loved working outdoors.

primarily because + reason clause

The organization focuses primarily on helping children in rural areas.

focuses primarily on [topic]

Common collocations
  • primarily because
  • focus primarily on
  • result primarily from
  • consist primarily of
  • known primarily for
  • caused primarily by
  • due primarily to
Synonyms
  • mainly

    neutral and the most common choice for everyday speech

  • chiefly

    slightly more formal; common in written English

  • mostly

    focuses on proportion or quantity rather than importance

  • predominantly

    more formal; emphasizes the largest or strongest element

Antonyms
  • secondarily

    indicates lesser importance than the primary factor

  • marginally

    suggests only a small or unimportant degree

Usage Note

Can be placed before the main verb (She primarily reads non-fiction), before the complement (Her job is primarily administrative), or at the start of a clause for emphasis (Primarily, the goal is to reduce waste). The end position is less common.

Common Mistakes

Primarily, we need to submit the report before Friday.' (when meaning 'first in time')
First, we need to submit the report before Friday.
Primarily expresses importance or priority, not chronological order.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/1

All four words indicate that something is true to a greater degree than other related things, but they differ in nuance. Mainly is the most neutral and common choice for everyday speech and writing — it works in almost any context. Primarily adds the idea of first in importance or priority, making it a good fit when stating the main purpose or reason. Mostly leans toward quantity or proportion: if something is mostly true, it is true in the largest part, not necessarily the most important part. Chiefly is slightly more formal and appears more often in written descriptions of purpose or composition. Predominantly is the most formal of the group and emphasizes that one element is dominant over others. For example: 'The event was mainly attended by young people' (plain fact); 'The event was primarily a fundraiser' (stating its purpose); 'The crowd was mostly students' (proportion).

mainly ↗chieflymostly ↗predominantly ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • almost primarily
  • not solely but primarily
  • primarily only

Phrases

  • due primarily to
  • not only...but primarily

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Primarily comes from the adjective 'primary' (meaning 'first in rank or importance') combined with the adverbial suffix '-ly'. 'Primary' traces back through Latin 'primarius' ('of the first rank, principal'), which derives from 'primus' ('first'). The word has carried the meaning 'most importantly, chiefly' since the 17th century.