primarily

/praɪˈmerəli/ (bre, ipa) · /praɪˈmerəli/ (ame, ipa) · /prī-ˈmer-ə-lē also prə- chiefly British ˈprī-mə-rə-lē/ (ame, mw)

primarily — adverb

1. used for saying that one thing is the most important reason, cause, or feature o

1.副詞B2
釋義

used for saying that one thing is the most important reason, cause, or feature of something compared with others that affect it

例句

Sophia chose to study biology primarily because she loved working outdoors.

primarily because + reason clause

The organization focuses primarily on helping children in rural areas.

focuses primarily on [topic]

同義詞
  • mainly

    neutral and the most common choice for everyday speech

  • chiefly

    slightly more formal; common in written English

  • mostly

    focuses on proportion or quantity rather than importance

  • predominantly

    more formal; emphasizes the largest or strongest element

反義詞
  • secondarily

    indicates lesser importance than the primary factor

  • marginally

    suggests only a small or unimportant degree

用法筆記

Can be placed before the main verb (She primarily reads non-fiction), before the complement (Her job is primarily administrative), or at the start of a clause for emphasis (Primarily, the goal is to reduce waste). The end position is less common.

常見錯誤

❌Primarily, we need to submit the report before Friday.' (when meaning 'first in time')
✅First, we need to submit the report before Friday.
💡Primarily expresses importance or priority, not chronological order.