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

Scheiber reported on roughly 400 primary care doctors at Allina, a major Minnesota health care system, who unionized in 2023—the largest group of private-sector physicians to do so in modern memory. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

Every test on this list can be ordered by a regular primary care doctor. —Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 10 Apr. 2026

Most of these tests can be ordered by a regular primary care doctor. —Allison Palmer, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Apr. 2026

Most of these tests can be ordered by any primary care doctor. —Allison Palmer, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 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