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

In this movement Governor La Follette of Wisconsin took the lead and his state was the first in the union to adopt the direct primary for state-wide purposes.

From History of the United States by Charles A. (Charles Austin) Beard