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 When Jack did find a primary care physician, the medical records do not show that the doctor wrote her a new prescription for diabetes medication. Calmatters, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 And in Pennsylvania, a primary care doctor is slashing expenses and pooling all of her cash — including her personal bank stash — in the hopes of staying afloat for the next two months. Julie Creswell, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The blood test is also essential for the average man during his routine annual checkup with his primary care doctor. Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Many people like the ease of being able to schedule an appointment with a specialist without consulting a primary care physician. Elizabeth Davis, Verywell Health, 27 Feb. 2024 The next day, Lanter visited her primary care physician. Zara Hanawalt, Parents, 27 Feb. 2024 About 11 million Californians live in a primary care shortage area, where a pediatrician can be difficult to find. Jenny Gold, Los Angeles Times, 26 Feb. 2024 Jessica Tucker, a single mother, broke into tears after receiving a $90 bill for her 3-year-old son Raylan’s primary care visit and tetanus vaccine at Bethesda, pleading with her mother by phone for help paying it. Noah Weiland Desiree Rios, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 Community ophthalmology combines aspects of public health, community medicine, and clinical ophthalmology to offer primary care to underserved populations. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 2 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primary care.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of primary care was in 1967

Dictionary Entries Near primary care

Cite this Entry

“Primary care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primary%20care. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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