Primarily

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹaɪməɹəli/

Definitions

1. Mainly or chiefly; for the most part; used to indicate the most important reason or purpose
2. Essentially or predominantly
3. referring to the main reason or focus in consideration of something

Etymology: "Primarily" is a plain formation: the adjective "primary" with the suffix "-ly" added to turn it into an adverb meaning "in the first place" or "above all else." The adjective "primary" came into English from Latin "primarius," built on "primus," meaning "first," so the word is simply "first" in its own form, extended by a common adverb ending. The suffix has a long ancestry of its own. It descends from an old Germanic word for "body" or "form," which appears in Old English as "-lic" (as in "godlic," "godly"), and the adjective-to-adverb ending gradually reduced and changed shape over the centuries until it became the "-ly" we use today. English has added this ending freely for as long as it has existed, which is why "primarily" sits so comfortably alongside countless older adverbs built the same way.

Synonyms: mainly, chiefly, mostly, largely, predominantly

Antonyms: secondarily, minorly