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

2

: the office, rank, or preeminence of an ecclesiastical primate

Synonyms

• dominance
• superiority
• distinction
• supremacy
• reputation

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

Gerry Cardinale, founder and managing partner of Skydance financial backer RedBird Capital, returned to Ellison’s point about the primacy of programming. —Dade Hayes, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2025

The adoption of agentic AI must be driven not by speed, but by intentionality — prioritizing transparency, accountability, equity, and above all, the enduring primacy of human judgment. —Sahar Hashmi, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Its primacy is based on decades of trust in institutions; in adequate but not excessive regulation that maintains an orderly and predictable market; in a transparent and independent judiciary; in rich citizens who pay their taxes. —Mary Childs, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025

The 2019 Business Roundtable statement abandoning shareholder primacy for stakeholder capitalism formalized what successful executives had already recognized: The days when charismatic founders could mandate cultural transformation through executive decree had ended. —Gabriel Snyder, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English primacie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin prīmātia "office of a primate," from prīmāt-, prīmās "leading bishop in an ecclesiastical province, primate" + Latin -ia -y entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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