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
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Recent Examples of principally
This rising use of AI has principally been spurred by the evolving advances and widespread adoption of generative AI.
—
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Their programs were not principally drill-and-kill exercises, but extended to mathematics, English composition, geography, history, and music — piano, violin, and choral programs.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
The overwhelming majority of NFL teams are principally owned and run by white men.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 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
Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
Their programs were not principally drill-and-kill exercises, but extended to mathematics, English composition, geography, history, and music — piano, violin, and choral programs.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
The overwhelming majority of NFL teams are principally owned and run by white men.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 19 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for principally
Adverb
-
That said, there are some Crocs are chiefly marketed toward either men or women, namely sneakers for men and wedges for women, and focus on men’s or women’s sizes.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
29 May 2026
-
In a probing piece for The New Yorker, journalist Jessica Winter took a hard look at Burden’s financial profile—and incidentally turned up some holes in the narrative that has defined her divorce as tragic for chiefly financial reasons.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Adverb
-
How private money helps bankroll the LAPD Like other big-city police forces, the LAPD has long turned to wealthy boosters to supplement its multibillion-dollar annual budget, which mainly goes toward salaries and other payroll costs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Regional identity is important in Georgia — though he was mainly raised in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, Kvaratskhelia’s family are Mingrelian, an ethnic group from the country’s west.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adverb
-
Cobra Commander is primarily focused on conquering planet earth, not giving power lunch recommendations, as The Hollywood Reporter tried to get out of him in a voice chat.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
-
Last year, activists capitalized on a flurry of Elon Musk posts on X to highlight historic abuse, primarily carried out by groups of men of mainly Pakistani heritage, in the northern English town of Oldham.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Adverb
-
The hotel is run by Marugal Hotel Management, a company with a portfolio of 14 exquisite hotels, mostly in Spain but also properties in England, France, Portugal, and Switzerland.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
And yet art-world institutions—including major museums, schools, commercial galleries, and publishing outlets—have mostly avoided the fawning capitulation of universities and Democrats, simply going quiet in the hope of escaping notice for the next three years.—
Katy Siegel,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adverb
-
Ultimately, all three companies reported solid quarterly results and forward guidance, and Wall Street analysts largely increased their price targets.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
-
The exact bloom time depends largely on your climate.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
4 June 2026
Adverb
-
As a row of kids delighted in mixing cotton candy and frozen lemonade into an only-at-the-ballpark dessert, the usher alerted the parents that a mass of boisterous and predominantly shirtless men soon would be assembling in a nearby section.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
The new map moved predominantly Black neighbors into white majority districts and split Wasserman Schultz’s former district five ways, leading her to launch a campaign for the 20th District.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Principally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/principally. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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