Chief
Chief adjective - Coming before all others in importance.
Usage example: our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget
Primary is a synonym for chief in main topic. In some cases you can use "Primary" instead the word "Chief" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like characteristic, original, principal, important. popular alternative
Nearby Word: chiefly
Primary
Primary adjective - Coming before all others in importance.
Usage example: the primary concern for many house hunters is the asking price
Chief is a synonym for primary in main topic. You can use "Chief" instead the word "Primary" as an adjective or a noun, if it concerns topics such as major, characteristic, original, principal. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
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Interservice rivalry was the primary reason Eisenhower was retained in Supreme Command after a rocky start in North Africa: Roosevelt and US chief of staff George C.
Source: Interservice Rivalry -
Despite the chief antagonists of the series being animatronic robots, the Five Nights at Freddy's series seems to have this as one of its primary themes.
Source: Humans Are Bastards -
Her single-minded focus on Victoria as her primary target doesn't quite hold up when you remember that Conrad was the chief instigator in the framing and attempted murder of David.
Source: Series / Revenge
Cite this Source
Primary and Chief. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/chief/primary
Chief & Primary. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/chief/primary>.
Primary or Chief. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/chief/primary.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "chief" and "primary" have occurred on timeline