primary

1 coming before all others in importance <the primary concern for many house hunters is the asking price> Synonyms arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one (also No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, foremost, principal, prior, sovereign (also sovran), supremeRelated Words distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled (or unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNear Antonyms inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiaryAntonyms last, least

2 done or working without something else coming in between <a crop failure that was the primary cause of the famine> Synonyms firsthand, immediate, direct, unmediatedRelated Words clinical, empirical (also empiric); efficient, proximate; hands-onAntonyms indirect, secondhand

3 highest in rank or authority <the movie's primary screenwriter> Synonyms chief, commanding, first, foremost, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, head, prime, principal, supereminent, supreme, topRelated Words high-level, senior; controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory; main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign (also sovran); ascendant (also ascendent), dominant, grand, superior, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermostNear Antonyms ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary; assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under

4 coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows <a few minutes of primary instruction in the use of our diving gear before we actually got into the water> Synonyms beginning, introductory, precursory, prefatory, prelim, prelusive, preparative, preparatory, preliminaryRelated Words introducing, prefacing, preparing, readying; premonitory, warning; basic, elementary, fundamental; ahead, early, former, preceding, previous, priorNear Antonyms after, behind, following, subsequent