primarily secondly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "primarily secondly" is not correct in written English.
You could use one of the following phrases instead: • First and foremost •Firstly, secondly Example: Firstly, I want to thank you for your hard work; secondly, we should start discussing our next project.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Firstly, it removes the assumption that women are primarily caregivers, and secondly, it provides men, who are also going to experience deteriorating employment opportunities, with an alternative means of finding identity and self-worth outside work.

The Guardian

The small cracks were found to be primarily microstructurally small and secondly mechanically small.

International Journal of Fatigue

For now Authory's product focus being (primarily) on backup, and (secondly) traffic generation feels sensible — if a little uninspiring.

TechCrunch

First I noticed that I was primarily feeling joy and secondly feeling sad.

Huffington Post

Their main sources of information were primarily health workers and secondly health-related TV and radio campaigns.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Until then, clinicians, professional organizations and policy-makers should address aggression coming into children's lives through all relevant means, primarily real-life and secondly virtual.

BMC Psychiatry

Carers, professional organisations and policy makers should address aggression seen in all relevant area of children's lives, primarily real-life and secondly virtual environments.

BMC Psychiatry

ACh is involved in signal transmission in the synapse and its pharmacological action is terminated primarily by AChE and secondly by BChE [ 21].

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

The service user participants were identified by both the ward manager of their inpatient ward and consulting Psychiatrist as primarily having capacity and secondly as someone who would be interested in discussing their experiences of being detained, (from admission to discharge).

BMC Medical Ethics

Secondly, the sources primarily provide financial data rather than health and morbidity data.

Genus

CA results support this, suggesting a cluster structure controlled primarily by particle size and secondly by climate and sediment density.

Marine Geology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When indicating a sequence of importance, use established phrases such as "first and foremost", or "primarily" followed by "secondarily" or "subsequently" to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid combining adverbs of degree like "primarily" directly with adverbs of sequence like "secondly". This can create grammatically incorrect and confusing phrasing. Always ensure that adverbs modify the correct parts of speech and follow standard English syntax.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "primarily secondly" attempts to function as a sequential marker, indicating the order or importance of two points. However, it fails to do so grammatically, because it combines an adverb of degree and an adverb of sequence incorrectly. As Ludwig AI confirms, this usage is not standard in English.

Expression frequency: Missing

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "primarily secondly" is grammatically incorrect and not recognized as standard English. As Ludwig AI points out, it's an improper combination of an adverb of degree and an adverb of sequence. To express sequential importance, it's recommended to use established phrases like "first and foremost" or structuring the sentence with "primarily" followed by "secondarily", "subsequently", or similar transitional words. Due to its incorrectness, it's unsuitable for any register, and you should avoid using it in both formal and informal writing. Remember to always prioritize grammatical correctness and clarity in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in the first place, secondly

Corrects the phrase by explicitly starting with "in the first place" to clearly establish the order.

first and foremost

Replaces the original phrase with a more common expression for highlighting the most important aspect.

to begin with, subsequently

Provides a more formal start and uses "subsequently" to continue the sequence.

principally, following that

Replaces "primarily" with "principally" and "secondly" with "following that" to provide a more formal tone.

firstly, then furthermore

Uses "firstly" for clear sequencing and replaces "secondly" with "furthermore" to add more details.

chiefly then subsequently

Substitutes "primarily" with "chiefly" and "secondly" with "subsequently" to offer a formal, sequential indication.

above all and next

Emphasizes the initial element as the most important, with "next" indicating the subsequent point.

mainly and also

Offers a simplified alternative highlighting the main point and an additional one, reducing the emphasis on strict ordering.

first and in turn

Highlights the first point and indicates the sequential impact of the original point by using 'in turn'.

primarily, in addition

Replaces "secondly" with "in addition" for a less structured sequence.

FAQs

Is "primarily secondly" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "primarily secondly" is not grammatically correct in English. It's better to use phrases like "first and foremost" or "primarily" followed by "secondarily" or "subsequently".

What's a better way to express sequential importance than "primarily secondly"?

Instead of "primarily secondly", consider using phrases such as "first and foremost", or structuring your sentence with "primarily" and then using "secondarily" or "subsequently".

How can I properly indicate a second point after establishing a primary one?

After indicating something is primary, use transitional words or phrases like "secondly", "in addition", or "furthermore" to introduce the second point.

What are some alternatives to "primarily" when indicating the main focus?

You can use alternatives like "chiefly", "mainly", "principally", or "above all" to indicate the main focus or most important aspect.