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

Just ask primary care doctor and longevity specialist Amanda Kahn, MD, who has a tip for bone health that she’s implemented into her own life. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 1 June 2026

This was once the foundation of primary care. —Felicity Yost, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Doctors have historically done a bad job counseling patients about weight loss, and many people aren’t comfortable talking to their primary care doctor about it, Ard said. —Maia Rosenfeld, NBC news, 29 May 2026

Our expertise spanned various disciplines, including obstetrics and gynecology, endocrinology, pediatrics, dermatology, radiology, primary care, nutrition science and psychology. —Melanie Cree, The Conversation, 29 May 2026

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