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

Patients without primary care or insurance will turn to ERs for their care, and this will further increase overcrowding and wait times. —Dr. Bryce Pulliam, Time, 24 Oct. 2025

The average copay was $27 for a primary care doctor and $45 for a specialist. —Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025

They’re all resigned to using the ER as a stand-in for unavailable primary care. —Eric Snoey, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025

Most people bring memory or thinking concerns to a primary care provider. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 20 Oct. 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