1
2
as in immediate
done or working without something else coming in between a crop failure that was the primary cause of the famine

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4
as in preliminary
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows a few minutes of primary instruction in the use of our diving gear before we actually got into the water

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of primary The move comes as the Trump administration looks to completely revamp the United States' approach to AI and move away from safety as a primary goal. Sam Sabin, Axios, 28 Feb. 2025 English speakers on this itinerary should know that French is the primary language on shore at times. Fran Golden, AFAR Media, 28 Feb. 2025 Myers factored centrally into the Canucks’ second goal, this time with a primary assist. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 28 Feb. 2025 Reclaimed white pine flooring by the Hudson Company stands in handsome contrast to board-and-batten paneling in the primary bathroom, where the tub is by Randolph Morris. Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 17 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
  • My one and only visit was decades ago, in middle school, when my main priority was riding the roller coaster.
    Mariah Tyler, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2025
  • In addition to a cozy and updated three-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot main home, there’s a small 19th-century cabin with a rock chimney still standing on the property.
    David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet for travelers, industry veterans say, this seesaw experience won’t make an immediate difference to the cost of flights or lodgings in Mexico or Canada.
    Christopher Reynolds, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025
  • In the immediate aftermath, figures such as Issa Rae canceled their shows, and Ben Folds and Renee Fleming withdrew as advisers.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Meet The Experts Linh Calhoun is chief marketing officer at Replacements, Ltd. Kit Webb is a designer and builder sales representative with Sewell Appliance Gentle Vs.
    Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2025
  • The Observatory's chief Rami Abdurrahman said that revenge killings stopped early Saturday.
    arkansasonline.com, arkansasonline.com, 9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • At the beginning of 2024, however, the implementation of SB 323 and SB 528 was held up when a judge in Bozeman, where the median home price now exceeds $800,000, issued a preliminary injunction.
    Patrick Gleason, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The preliminary injunction continued to block the pause.
    Kevin Freking, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Indeed, engagement and performance are mostly predicted, not by where people work, but by the quality and competence of their direct line managers.
    Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
  • Just about every room on both floors enjoys panoramic city and park vistas and direct access to a tranquil terrace enveloped in greenery, creating a serene vibe that’s difficult to find in the heart of Manhattan.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • The biographical circumstances and the reddish tinge of the foremost prisoner’s hair have led commentators to interpret the image metaphorically, even solipsistically––the prisoner becomes a cipher for van Gogh, physically and psychologically incarcerated.
    Sarah C. Schaefer, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.
    Christian Oberbeck, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • This method can temporarily manage symptoms or serve as a preparatory step before a more comprehensive surgical procedure.11 2.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 24 Dec. 2024
  • But this time measures like the travel ban were replaced by more methodical reviews and preparatory actions that could serve as the precursors to such policies while putting them on more solid legal footing.
    Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Here’s how Stein went from making muffin mixes in her New York apartment’s kitchen to building one of the country’s predominant granola brands.
    Ryan Johnston,Zachary Green, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The predominant tone in the conspiracy films of the 1970s is futility.
    Chris Vognar, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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