primary

1 of 2

adjective

pri·​ma·​ry ˈprī-ˌmer-ē How to pronounce primary (audio)
ˈprī-mə-rē,
ˈprīm-rē How to pronounce primary (audio)
Synonyms of primarynext
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

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

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
Trump continues to hold a gargantuan lead in FiveThirtyEight's national primary polling average, but his lead is less than half that in Iowa. —Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 13 June 2023 The primary goal is to weed out the poor singers and keep the one talented singer as the winner. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 13 June 2023 Both were reelected, despite facing primary challengers supported by Trump. —Brett Pulley, Fortune, 10 June 2023 Because Democratic primary election voters tend to be more liberal, Carroll Foy may have the advantage there, said Mark J. Rozell, dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. —Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, 9 June 2023 In that environment, where most conservative priorities have little chance of being signed into law, the House should consider its primary job to be inhibiting Joe Biden’s agenda. —The Editors, National Review, 8 June 2023 Tkachuk earned the primary assist with a fine pass that Montour turned into his seventh goal of the playoffs. —Helene Elliott, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2023 The primary insect responsible for chewing rose leaves this time of year is a sawfly – in particular, one of a few species of roseslug sawfly. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 8 June 2023 For DeSantis, the focus on immigration is a chance to boost his credibility on a top issue for GOP primary voters. —Jonathan J. Cooper, Anchorage Daily News, 7 June 2023
Noun
That trial isn't expected to begin until early 2024, when the first Republicans will be casting their votes in the 2024 GOP primaries. —Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 14 June 2023 Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the respective frontrunners in the Republican primary, both call the Sunshine State their home. —Emily Jacobs, Washington Examiner, 12 June 2023 Alabama is a deep red state, and the winner of the GOP primary will likely carry this state’s voters during the General Election. —John Sharp | Jsharp@al.com, al, 7 June 2023 Any charges, if filed, would likely come at a politically inopportune time for Trump, who leads the pack of contenders in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. —Time, 7 June 2023 Christie formally declared his candidacy Tuesday evening during a town hall event at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, the state with the first presidential primary. —Brandon Gillespie, Fox News, 6 June 2023 Christie, a familiar GOP face who led New Jersey for eight years, previously ran for president in 2016, but was unable to gain traction and dropped out of the race after losing the New Hampshire primary to then-candidate Donald Trump. —Justin Klawans, The Week, 4 June 2023 The two candidates who receive the most votes in the March primary will advance to the general election in November 2024, regardless of party. —Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2023 He was scheduled to appear later in the day at a Twitter Spaces event and then on Fox News to publicize his entry into the GOP presidential primary. —Lori Rozsa, Anchorage Daily News, 25 May 2023 See More

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of primary was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing primary

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Dictionary Entries Near primary

primariness

primary

primary accent

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primary. Accessed 20 Jun. 2023.

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Kids Definition

primary

1 of 2 adjective
pri·​ma·​ry ˈprī-ˌmer-ē How to pronounce primary (audio) ˈprīm-(ə-)rē How to pronounce primary (audio)
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 How to pronounce primary (audio) ˈprīm-(ə-)rē How to pronounce primary (audio)
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 How to pronounce primary (audio)
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 How to pronounce primary (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on primary

Nglish: Translation of primary for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of primary for Arabic Speakers

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