primacy
noun
pri·ma·cy
ˈprī-mə-sē 
1
: the state of being first (as in importance, order, or rank) : preeminence
the primacy of intellectual and esthetic over materialistic values—
T. R. McConnell
T. R. McConnell2
: the office, rank, or preeminence of an ecclesiastical primate
Synonyms
Examples of primacy in a Sentence
Civil law took primacy over religious law.
She has established primacy in her field of study.
Recent Examples on the Web
From 1991 until recently, Washington had shepherded a peace process in part because U.S. leaders believed that delivering a just solution for Palestinians was essential to legitimize U.S. primacy.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2024
And Boeing’s primacy in the industry was built on revolutionary leaps, such as the 707 and 747.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
This will mean that, as in the case of ESG, the demands of climate activism will trump the shareholder primacy that has served the U.S. so well.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024
Star wars Space technology is also key to military primacy.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
In World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, autocracies in Eurasia sought global primacy by achieving preeminence within that central landmass.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Throughout his diverse ventures, a common thread is woven – the primacy of customers and partners.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
The guidebook, with 78 unique creative prompts, is our nudge for everyone to explore the primacy of their imagination, artist or not, and to also encourage taking their creativity offline and interacting with the physical world in new and perspective-shifting ways.
—Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
Losing this competition would mean the U.S. losing its national security along with its economic primacy, and even putting democracy in general at risk.
—Ram Charan, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2023
Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2024
And Boeing’s primacy in the industry was built on revolutionary leaps, such as the 707 and 747.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
This will mean that, as in the case of ESG, the demands of climate activism will trump the shareholder primacy that has served the U.S. so well.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024
Star wars Space technology is also key to military primacy.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
In World War I, World War II, and the Cold War, autocracies in Eurasia sought global primacy by achieving preeminence within that central landmass.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
Throughout his diverse ventures, a common thread is woven – the primacy of customers and partners.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024
The guidebook, with 78 unique creative prompts, is our nudge for everyone to explore the primacy of their imagination, artist or not, and to also encourage taking their creativity offline and interacting with the physical world in new and perspective-shifting ways.
—Jennifer Sodini, Rolling Stone, 11 Mar. 2024
Losing this competition would mean the U.S. losing its national security along with its economic primacy, and even putting democracy in general at risk.
—Ram Charan, Fortune, 12 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near primacy
Cite this Entry
“Primacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primacy. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
primacy
noun
pri·ma·cy
ˈprī-mə-sē
plural primacies
1
: the state of being first (as in time, place, or rank)
2
: the office or dignity of a bishop of the highest rank
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