primarily

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by 2003:cf:3f1f:d30c:6139:3ed1:a3a9:98fc (talk) as of 14:47, 23 November 2019.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

Etymology

primary +‎ -ly

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɹaɪˈmɛɹəli/, /ˈpɹaɪmɛɹəli/

Adverb

primarily (not comparable)

  1. (focus) Of a primary or central nature, first and foremost
    • 2015 January 1, Sarah Knapton, “Most cancers are caused by bad luck not genes or lifestyle, say scientists”, in The Telegraph[1]:
      But now a study has shown that most cancers are primarily caused by bad luck rather than poor lifestyle choices or defective DNA.
    • 2018 July 20, “Zika virus”, in World Health Organization[2]:
      Zika virus disease is caused by a virus transmitted primarily by Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day.
    • 2019 March 15, Keith Melrose, “Our leading tipsters give their fancy for the Cheltenham Gold Cup”, in The Racing Post[3]:
      Some Gold Cups are won primarily with class, others with stamina.

Synonyms

Translations