as in chiefly
for the most part
the tourists were principally concerned with the quantity of the food, and only secondarily with the quality
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of principally
The overwhelming majority of NFL teams are principally owned and run by white men.
—
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 May 2026
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The conflict has resulted in as many as 9,000 deaths and more than 40,000 injuries, principally in Iran but also in Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
The biggest beneficiaries of Gulf defense spending in recent years have been Western allies, principally the US.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
As with the Apollo spacecraft, Orion’s heat shield is made principally of a material known as Avcoat, a combination of epoxy resin and silica fibers, designed to absorb the fires of reentry and slowly burn off, or ablate, carrying the reentry heat away from the capsule and crew.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Apr. 2026
Both are principally manufactured by TSMC.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Virginia state agencies would no longer and principally state police, as the largest of the state law enforcement agencies, would no longer put their police officers, their troopers, under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The story is principally set early in 1965, on the stark desert island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 May 2026
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 May 2026
The conflict has resulted in as many as 9,000 deaths and more than 40,000 injuries, principally in Iran but also in Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.
—Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 11 May 2026
The biggest beneficiaries of Gulf defense spending in recent years have been Western allies, principally the US.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
As with the Apollo spacecraft, Orion’s heat shield is made principally of a material known as Avcoat, a combination of epoxy resin and silica fibers, designed to absorb the fires of reentry and slowly burn off, or ablate, carrying the reentry heat away from the capsule and crew.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 11 Apr. 2026
Both are principally manufactured by TSMC.
—Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Virginia state agencies would no longer and principally state police, as the largest of the state law enforcement agencies, would no longer put their police officers, their troopers, under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.
—Mike Stunson, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2026
The story is principally set early in 1965, on the stark desert island of Qeshm, in the Strait of Hormuz.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principally
Adverb
-
Magazines, which had previously been chiefly supported by subscribers, were now also supported by advertising.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
21 May 2026
-
This has been going on for years, emanating chiefly from the far right.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
One of those regional officials said the strikes by Saudi Arabia targeted hideouts of Iraqi militias, mainly Kataib Hezbollah, after Riyadh assessed that most of the drone attacks on Saudi Arabia came from neighboring Iraq.—
Samy Magdy,
Chicago Tribune,
22 May 2026
-
The Africa Finance Corporation — which mainly deploys capital for infrastructure projects — will invest $100 million in venture capital firms that back technology companies on the continent.—
Alexander Onukwue,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
After joining the Twins two weeks into the season, Morris primarily worked as a long reliever.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
The crowd is primarily partners seeking a romantic getaway and South Korean snowbirds in need of a warm-weather escape.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Adverb
-
Clarke lives in Gowanus, Brooklyn’s mostly industrial neighborhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
The audience was predominantly men, mostly clad in team jerseys and drinking twenty-dollar beers.—
Dan Greene,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Adverb
-
The candidates themselves seemed low-energy, even with their jabs — which were largely directed at Becerra, as Mark said.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
Our former swing state now has become a red state through and through thanks largely to the new congressional districts which are stretched to inane proportions.—
Ann Marie Luft,
The Orlando Sentinel,
14 May 2026
Adverb
-
The charges have Arcadia’s predominantly Asian American community worried about potential anti-Asian backlash, though city officials emphasize that Wang’s alleged misconduct occurred before her 2022 election to the City Council.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
-
In 2022, an 18-year-old white supremacist wearing body armor opened fire in a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, killing 10 people before being taken into custody.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principally. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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