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
Minor’s primary role could come on special teams, where the Patriots are still trying to identify a gunner to play opposite Brenden Schooler on the punt team.
—
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The nearly 3,000-square-foot main house offers three bedrooms, including two primary suites, and four bathrooms.
—John Turton, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
From a psychological perspective, the failure to launch is often a result of three primary (and several circumstantial) obstacles.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Scientists also pointed out that the complexity of the ITER tokamak brings with it many variables that had not been considered of primary importance until now, such as the magnetic field or high temperature in the detector region.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 13 Sep. 2025
The nearly 3,000-square-foot main house offers three bedrooms, including two primary suites, and four bathrooms.
—John Turton, Sacbee.com, 13 Sep. 2025
From a psychological perspective, the failure to launch is often a result of three primary (and several circumstantial) obstacles.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 13 Sep. 2025
Scientists also pointed out that the complexity of the ITER tokamak brings with it many variables that had not been considered of primary importance until now, such as the magnetic field or high temperature in the detector region.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primary
Adjective
-
The character collection leans into more alternate builds for main characters.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Use jig and pigs 18 to 25 feet deep along brush piles or main lake points with a gradual slope.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There was no immediate comment from Kimmel.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
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In the immediate aftermath, the head of the Federal Communications Commission issued a threat to Disney, the parent company of ABC.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Professionally, Austin remains close to the game as the chief operating officer of sports analytics company Pro Football Focus.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent at The New York Times, said last night.—
The Editors,
The Atlantic,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Detectives are searching for the vehicle the suspect used in the shooting and Gamble clarified the investigation is too preliminary to determine a motive yet.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
-
Authorities described the findings as preliminary and said identification would rely on forensic testing, a step that determines whether charges or other legal steps change as the investigation continues.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The student did not make any direct threats of harm to anyone, officers said.—
Fox19 staff,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
18 Sep. 2025
-
Quick-witted and unapologetically direct, he has long been ensconced in notable New York City circles.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Anna Forsythe,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
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But some of its foremost victims aren’t Israeli Jews.—
Sean Durns,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Champions Trophy exit was equally passive after a dreadful showing in the preparatory bilateral series against India.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Midday Friday, the military changed course, marking the latest escalation after weeks of preparatory strikes in some of the city’s neighborhoods and calling up tens of thousands of reservists.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Advertisement Lee believes a key factor is that Korean society has no predominant religion but a smattering of similarly sized faiths that maintain a balanced following without chafing against each other.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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Should contempt become the predominant way that two partners communicate with one another, one or both will eventually reach a breaking point.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primary. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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