1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primary concern for many house hunters is the asking price
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in chief
highest in rank or authority
the movie's primary screenwriter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of primary
Vertical wind shear, which refers to changes in wind speed and direction with height in the atmosphere, is often a primary factor in below-average hurricane season activity.
—
Dan Peck, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Meant to evoke a medieval woodland, the installation will be composed of plants and trees typically found in East Sussex, where the Battle of Hastings—the primary subject of the tapestry—was fought in 1066 CE.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Voting in Georgia's primary election is underway and thousands of people across the state have already cast their ballots in what will be a busy political year for the Peach State.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 May 2026
For that reason, the study failed to achieve its primary efficacy goal, which was a dose response.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Dan Peck, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Meant to evoke a medieval woodland, the installation will be composed of plants and trees typically found in East Sussex, where the Battle of Hastings—the primary subject of the tapestry—was fought in 1066 CE.
—Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 14 May 2026
Voting in Georgia's primary election is underway and thousands of people across the state have already cast their ballots in what will be a busy political year for the Peach State.
—Dan Raby, CBS News, 14 May 2026
For that reason, the study failed to achieve its primary efficacy goal, which was a dose response.
—Adam Feuerstein, STAT, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
Plenty of helpful signs are posted throughout, and main paths traverse the park.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
-
This intersection between kitchens and spirits spills over from main courses into desserts too.—
Carinne Geil Botta,
Forbes.com,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
Nagi, as Fukada imagines it, is empty but filled with voices — voices that are easily heard from every house in the area but seldom backed up by any kind of direct address.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
-
But even a completely Gaiman-free Good Omens would still bear his direct creative stamp.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kerry Haigh, the chief championships director at the PGA responsible for creating the test, made full use of the severely undulated greens at Aronimink that contributed to the bunched leaderboard, and required control of every shot from tee-to-green.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
The judge also found that the public interest strongly favors transparency, particularly, the court noted, when the chief election official is himself a candidate in the election being administered.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
According to a preliminary investigation, four suspects wearing hoodies and gloves used hammers to smash a display case and stole jewelry.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
-
Outside of a track and field preliminary meet at Yorba Linda High on Saturday, an anti-transgender advocacy group called Save Girls’ Sports organized a protest against California policies that allow transgender athletes to compete based on their gender identity.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
All visitors who paid for entry were told that only kind words would be tolerated, and any hurtful words or curses would result in immediate expulsion from the tent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
-
The franchise stunned the NBA by trading away cornerstone Luka Dončić, plunging the roster into an immediate identity crisis.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
Cochran gave Bradley credit for that London show and many more that followed, putting him together with Noël Coward, the young George Balanchine, and the man who would become the foremost progenitor of ballet in Britain, Frederick Ashton.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
And there’s no one better to portray that than Drucker, who has become one of our foremost portrayers of women on the edge.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
It will also be used as a test-bed for long-term habitation and preparatory work for permanent bases.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
10 May 2026
-
Najib was the only one of the defendants who was arrested and present in person in court Sunday for a preparatory session in the trial, which will continue next month.—
Ghaith Alsayed,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But a centennial is as good a time as any to fill in what the predominant narrative often leaves out.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
The Caribbean Princess completed an 11-day voyage that had departed on April 28 from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, during which passengers and crew suffered from an outbreak of the highly contagious virus, which has predominant symptoms of diarrhea and vomiting.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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