direct primary

American  

noun

U.S. Politics.

1. a primary in which members of a party nominate its candidates by direct vote.

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direct primary British  

noun

1. government a primary in which voters directly select the candidates who will run for office

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direct primary Cultural  

1. An election in which voters choose candidates to run on a party's ticket in a subsequent election for public office.

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Etymology

Origin of direct primary

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

direct primary

Instead of billing insurance for routine office visits, they’re charging patients directly through a monthly or annual membership fee, a model known as direct primary care, or DPC.

From Slate ● Aug. 22, 2026

The law also enables people to spend HSA dollars on monthly or annual fees for direct primary care.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 30, 2026

The 2026 expansion includes individuals with bronze or catastrophic plans through the ACA marketplace and those using direct primary care or telehealth services.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2025

Some ambulatory surgery centers, for instance, serve only cash-paying patients, and many physicians offer direct primary care, bypassing health insurance middlemen altogether.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 11, 2023

The movement for the direct primary, as it was called, spread rapidly particularly in the South and West.

From Government in the United States National, State and Local by James Wilford Garner