primary

1 of 2

adjective

pri·​ma·​ry ˈprī-ˌmer-ē 

ˈprī-mə-rē,

ˈprīm-rē 

1

: first in order of time or development : primitive

the primary stage of civilization

the primary lesion of a disease

2

a

: of first rank, importance, or value : principal

the primary purpose

b

: basic, fundamental

security is a primary need

c

: of, relating to, or constituting the principal flight feathers of a bird's wing

d

: of or relating to agriculture, forestry, and the extractive industries or their products

e

: expressive of present or future time

primary tense

f

: of, relating to, or constituting the strongest of the three or four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists

the first syllable of basketball carries primary stress

3

a

: direct, firsthand

primary sources of information

b

: not derivable from other colors, odors, or tastes

c

: preparatory to something else in a continuing process

primary instruction

d

: of or relating to a primary school

primary education

e

: of or relating to a primary election

a primary candidate

f

: belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications

primary nerves

g

: directly derived from ores

primary metals

h

: of, relating to, or being the amino acid sequence in proteins

primary protein structure

4

: resulting from the substitution of one of two or more atoms or groups in a molecule

a primary amine

especially : being or characterized by a carbon atom having a bond to only one other carbon atom

5

: of, relating to, involving, or derived from primary meristem

primary tissue

primary growth

6

: of, relating to, or involved in the production of organic substances by green plants

primary productivity

7

: providing primary care

a primary physician

primary

2 of 2

noun

plural primaries

1

: something that stands first in rank, importance, or value : fundamental

—usually used in plural

2

: the celestial body around which one or more other celestial bodies revolve

especially : the more massive usually brighter component of a binary star system

3

: one of the usually 9 or 10 strong flight feathers on the distal joint of a bird's wing see wing illustration

4

a

: primary color

b

: the sensation of seeing primary colors

5

a

: caucus

b

: an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention

6

: the coil that is connected to the source of electricity in an induction coil or transformer

called also primary coil

Synonyms

Adjective

• arch
• big
• capital
• cardinal
• central
• chief
• dominant
• first
• foremost
• grand
• great
• greatest
• highest
• key
• leading
• main
• master
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• overbearing
• overmastering
• overriding
• paramount
• predominant
• preeminent
• premier
• primal
• principal
• prior
• sovereign
• sovran
• supreme

Example Sentences

Adjective

The economy was the primary focus of the debate.

The family is the primary social unit of human life.

The primary function of our schools is to educate our young people.

We just started our primary flight training.

The book is based mainly on primary sources rather than secondary sources.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Alaska’s falling cost of living has one primary progenitor: home prices. —Andrew Van Dam, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Mar. 2023

Under the now eight-year rule of Saudi Arabia’s king, Salman, his son Prince Mohammed has made the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund a primary tool of Saudi investment at home and abroad. —Ellen Knickmeyer, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2023

This home, located in the View Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, became their primary residence. —Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2023

No presidential candidates attended despite the state’s primary taking place less than a year from now, and California offering the largest cache of delegates of any state in the nation. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2023

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The Gordon Dining Center voting ward on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus usually draws about 50 voters in spring primary elections. —Kelly Meyerhofer And Hunter Turpin, Journal Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2023

But the weight loss Ozempic produces has largely overshadowed the drug’s primary purpose. —Zee Krstic, Good Housekeeping, 11 Mar. 2023

Gage cites the breakneck dialogue of His Girl Friday and the odd-couple pairing of Pretty Woman as Down Low’s primary influences, but what really hooked Gage and Fisher was the latter’s original conceit. —Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 11 Mar. 2023

However, Pence and DeSantis, as well as a number of others, are rumored to be mulling their own runs and have taken trips to the early primary states. —Brandon Gillespie, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2023

Noun

And on top of all that, the Republican primary is already shaping up to be a crowded affair. —Daniel Strauss, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2023

Protasiewicz's campaign has reserved $6.5 million in advertising as of Tuesday, according to the campaign, while A Better Wisconsin Together has spent $1.3 million since the primary on advertising aimed at boosting Protasiewicz. —Molly Beck, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2023

Ogles defeated five other Republicans in the Aug. 4 primary and defeated Democrat Heidi Campbell in the Nov. 8 election, flipping the seat Republican. —Kerri Bartlett, USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2023

Before the primary, $9.5 million was spent on the airwaves for the race. —Alexandra Marquez, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2023

The Republican candidate field is already forming, with a focus on South Carolina, home to the first GOP presidential primary in the South. —Meg Kinnard, ajc, 27 Feb. 2023

Nuclear threats thus loom as the primary means Moscow leans on to try to scare away deeper Western assistance to Ukraine. —Sébastien Roblin, Popular Mechanics, 27 Feb. 2023

Still, his visit to New York City as the presidential primary is forming has caught notice. —Maggie Haberman, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Feb. 2023

The idea of moving the date of Maryland’s 2024 primary to avoid a conflict with Passover is gaining momentum. —Jonathan M. Pitts, Baltimore Sun, 27 Feb. 2023

See More

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English primarye, primary "original, earliest," borrowed from Latin prīmārius "of the highest importance or station (of persons), first-rate, chief" (Late Latin, "original, lying at the beginning," Medieval Latin, "foremost, leading"), from prīmus "first, foremost, earliest, of first importance" + -ārius -ary entry 2 — more at prime entry 2

Noun

in part borrowed from Late Latin prīmārius "person leading, leader," noun derivative of Latin prīmārius "of the highest importance or station, chief, primary entry 1"; in part noun derivative of primary entry 1, or shortened from collocations with the adjective; (sense 5) shortened from primary election, earlier primary assembly, translation of French assemblée primaire

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing primary

• direct primary
• primary school
• primary color
• primary cell
• primary care
• primary atypical pneumonia
• primary wall
• primary root
• primary tooth
• pre-primary
• primary meristem
• primary syphilis

See More

• direct primary
• primary school
• primary color
• primary cell
• primary care
• primary atypical pneumonia
• primary wall
• primary root
• primary tooth
• pre-primary
• primary meristem
• primary syphilis

See More

Kids Definition

primary

1 of 2 adjective

pri·​ma·​ry ˈprī-ˌmer-ē  ˈprīm-(ə-)rē 

1

: first in time or development : initial, primitive

the primary stage of a civilization

2

a

: of first rank, importance, or value

our primary duties

b

: basic entry 1 sense 1, fundamental

the family is the primary unit of human association

c

: of, relating to, or being one of the principal flight feathers of a bird's wing located on the outer joint

d

: of, relating to, or being the strongest of three levels of stress in pronunciation

3

a

: not made or coming from something else : firsthand

a primary source of information

b

: of, relating to, or being the current or circuit that is connected to the source of electricity in an induction coil or transformer

primary

2 of 2 noun

plural primaries

1

: one of the usually nine or ten strong flight feathers on the outer joint of a bird's wing

2

: primary color

3

: an election in which members of a political party nominate candidates for office

4

: the coil that is connected to the source of electricity in an induction coil or transformer

called also primary coil

Medical Definition

primary

1 of 2 adjective

pri·​ma·​ry ˈprī-ˌmer-ē  ˈprīm-(ə-)rē 

1

a(1)

: first in order of time or development

(2)

: relating to or being the milk teeth and especially the 20 milk teeth in the human set

b(1)

: arising spontaneously : idiopathic

primary insomnia

the absence of any pelvic abnormality confirmed the diagnosis of primary dysmenorrhea

(2)

: being an initial tumor or site especially of cancer

efforts to find the primary tumor have failed

—Raphael Feinmesser

c

: providing primary care

a primary physician

2

: not derivable from other colors, odors, or tastes

3

: belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications

primary nerves

4

: of, relating to, or being the amino acid sequence in proteins

primary protein structure

compare secondary sense 3, tertiary entry 2 sense 2c

5

: resulting from the substitution of one of two or more atoms or groups in a molecule

especially : being or characterized by a carbon atom having a bond to only one other carbon atom

primary

2 of 2 noun

plural primaries

: primary color

Legal Definition

primary

1 of 2 adjective

pri·​ma·​ry ˈprī-ˌmer-ē, -mə-rē 

1

: of first rank, value, or importance

2

: belonging to the first group or order in successive divisions, combinations, or ramifications

primarily

prī-ˈmer-ə-lē 

adverb

primary

2 of 2 noun

plural primaries

1

: caucus

2

: an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention