Literary notes about principally (AI summary)
The word "principally" functions to emphasize the dominant element or purpose in a statement. Writers use it to indicate that a particular quality, motive, or source is the chief or primary factor in what is being described. For instance, in historical texts it narrows focus to the major design or influence, as seen when a building is described as "principally intended for the reception of lepers" [1] or when a journey is undertaken "principally to see Dr. Johnson" [2]. It also serves to distinguish the leading component within a broader context, such as noting that silk is directed "principally to Russia" [3] or that commerce flows "principally in one great channel" [4]. By employing "principally," authors succinctly highlight what is most significant among several possibilities, lending clarity and precision to their descriptions.
- It was principally intended for the reception of lepers, (Greg.
— from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - I mentioned that Dr. Thomas Campbell had come from Ireland to London, principally to see Dr. Johnson.
— from Boswell's Life of Johnson by James Boswell - The manufactured silk, the other important product of Kashan, finds its way principally to Russia.
— from The Declaration of Independence of the United States of America by Thomas Jefferson - Her commerce, instead of running in a great number of small channels, has been taught to run principally in one great channel.
— from An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
