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

The country is experiencing a significant shortage of doctors in primary care, leaving millions without a family physician and contributing to longer emergency room waits and poorer health outcomes. —Ahmad Mukhtar, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025

At a recent checkup, my primary care physician assured me that this was a normal part of perimenopause. —Ronnie Koenig, SELF, 8 Dec. 2025

Women veterans enrolled in VA health care will enjoy access to specialized gynecology care without a referral from a primary care provider (PCP), the department said. —Associate News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025

Investing in primary care is one of the key priorities in optimizing scarce resources, since basic health care can prevent more serious and costly medical needs in the long run. —Alice Park, Time, 5 Dec. 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