primary care

noun

: health care provided by a medical professional (such as a general practitioner, pediatrician, or nurse) with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist

—often used before another noun

a primary care physician

called also primary health care

compare secondary care, tertiary care

Examples of primary care in a Sentence

He provides primary care to inner-city patients.

Recent Examples on the Web

Consider reaching out to your primary care doctor for treatment options, the National Institute of Mental Health recommends. —Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025

For example, some Americans may not have a primary care doctor, thus precluding them from getting a prescription for the Covid shot. —Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

Koepsel, a 64-year-old retired state employee, doesn't have a primary care doctor. —Stephanie Innes, AZCentral.com, 6 Sep. 2025

Extreme Heat Leads to Missed Doctor's Appointments Extreme heat or cold can lead people—especially older adults and those with chronic conditions—to skip primary care visits. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 4 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for primary care

• concessionaire
• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare

Medical Definition

primary care

noun

: health care provided by a medical professional (as a general practitioner or a pediatrician) with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist for further treatment

—often used attributively

primary care physicians

primary care practice

primary care medicine

called also primary health care

compare secondary care, tertiary care