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

People can get good care at shelters or clinics for the unhoused, but the middle part between primary care and the emergency department was missing, Dua said. —Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 8 June 2026

The health and wellness building consolidates all campus student health services and, for the first time, adds a UCSD Medical Group office offering primary care services to faculty and staff. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026

Always consult with your primary care physician before making any changes that can affect your health. —Renée Onque, CNBC, 5 June 2026

The systems allow doctors and nurses to quickly pull up nearly anyone’s medical history and records at emergency rooms or share after-visit summaries and notes with patients’ primary care providers, for example. —CNN Money, 4 June 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