Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • At first; originally; primarily; in the first place, degree, or rank.
  • In a prime manner or degree; especially; also, excellently: as, venison primely cooked.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb obsolete At first; primarily.
  • adverb In a prime manner; excellently.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb Primarily.
  • adverb In a prime manner; very well; extremely; excellently.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From prime +‎ -ly.

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Examples

  • Whenever Crowe spends the night in a hotel room, he absolutely has to call his wife, not just to let her know that he's safe and sound, but "primely" to reassure her that he's alone?

    The actor and the concierge. Ann Althouse 2005

  • Last, that it will be primely to the discouragement of all learning, and the stop of truth, not only by disexercising and blunting our abilities in what we know already, but by hindering and cropping the discovery that might be yet further made both in religious and civil wisdom.

    Areopagitica 2007

  • Last, that it will be primely to the discouragement of all learning, and the stop of truth, not only by disexercising and blunting our abilities in what we know already, but by hindering and cropping the discovery that might be yet further made both in religious and civil wisdom.

    Areopagitica 2007

  • Crowe told Dave he was frustrated with the hotel's poor phone service because he was ``trying to fill my basic obligations to my wife who needs to know that I'm, you know, at home, I'm in bed, I haven't had too much to drink and that, primely important, that I'm alone.''

    The actor and the concierge. Ann Althouse 2005

  • So saying, he exhorted Brown to be hasty in dispatching his breakfast, as, ‘the frost having given way, the scent would lie this morning primely.

    Chapter XXV 1917

  • Last, that it will be primely to the discouragement of all learning, and the stop of truth, not only by the disexercising and blunting our abilities in what we know already, but by hindering and cropping the discovery that might be yet further made both in religious and civil wisdom.

    Areopagitica: A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing: Paras 1-19 1909

  • Last that it will be primely to the discouragement of all learning, and the stop of Truth, not only by disexercising and blunting our abilities in what we know already, but by hindering and cropping the discovery that might be yet further made both in religious and civil wisdom.

    Plea for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing 1906

  • Whatever the cause of the arrests, the study's authors suggest that pediatricians are primely placed to observe and confront potential problems with their young patients, with an ability to counsel children and their parents and direct them to services that can help.

    ABC News: Top Stories 2011

  • Philistines, who were their enemies; and this was the thing primely, nay solely intended by him, and not the taking away his own life, which no doubt he wished that in that action he could have preserved from the common ruin, though he knew that the cause was such, that while he took away his enemies 'lives, he should by consequence lose his own.

    Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions. Vol. IV. 1634-1716 1823

  • So saying, he exhorted Brown to be hasty in despatching his breakfast, as, ‘the frost having given way, the scent would lie this morning primely.’

    Guy Mannering 1815

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