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principally

principally

31 4.0
Mostly or for the most part
  • adverb
  • /ˈprɪnsəpəli/
translation icon : principalmente
  • He is principally known for his contributions to modern physics.
  • principally concerned
  • principally responsible
  • comes principally

Those are the types of reports that we get principally from REM sleep.

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Examples

  • The high completion rate was achieved principally by making a large number of callbacks.

    Academic text (1990)
  • And I'm going to focus principally on South Africa as a remarkable transition with some comparisons to the Middle East and Northern Ireland.

  • I think many of you probably recognize the room as one principally used by the Queen as part of of the state opening of Parliament.

  • In its view, therefore, genuine development is neither merely nor even principally economic in nature.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Its efforts focus principally on education, networking, and marketing, rather than advocacy.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Many, if not most, ethnographic museums in Europe have collections that were principally acquired during the colonial period.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Now, third, we were clear at this NATO conference about the new threats that we face, principally Islamist extremism.

  • This report is principally about the effects of climate change on agriculture.

  • The new policy will principally benefit low-income families.

Synonyms

mostly
vsprincipally
1.0

For the most part

is about the main fact rather than how often
largely
vsprincipally
602 2.4

For the most part

is about being the main component rather than amount
primarily
vsprincipally
457 2.4

To be mostly about one main thing

is the general expression for the same overall case
mainly
vsprincipally
418 1.0

For the most part

is the same idea phrased using another word
for the most part
vsprincipally
261 3.2

It happens in most cases but not always

is stronger in stating the main case rather than exceptions
substantially
vsprincipally
129 4.9

To a large degree

is concerned with being the central part not degree
predominantly
vsprincipally
103 3.7

Mainly true in most cases

is focused on the central part not only on degree
by and large
vsprincipally
89 3.4

To say that something is true in most cases

is the more specific phrase for the usual case
chiefly
vsprincipally
22 3.0

Mainly or for the most part

is the broad neutral way to state the main point
in the main
vsprincipally
9 3.7

In most cases

is used to point to the main situation rather than rare ones
majorly
vsprincipally
  • UK
3 6.7

For the most part

is the neutral standard term rather than casual use
foremostly
vsprincipally
  • Archaic
6.7

Most of all, more important than other things

is about being the main or majority element rather than importance

Surface Forms

principally positive

Morphology

principally = principal (transparent) = principal + ly

The adverb 'principally' is transparently derived from the adjective 'principal' with the addition of the adverbial suffix '-ly'.

Etymology

The word principally comes from the Latin root princip- meaning 'first' or 'chief', the same root in principal, the head of a school. So principally means 'mainly' or 'for the most part', because it points to the 'first' or most important thing.