primacy
Americannoun
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primacies
plural
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the state of being first in order, rank, importance, etc.
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Also called primateship. English Ecclesiastics. the office, rank, or dignity of a primate.
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Roman Catholic Church. the jurisdiction of a bishop, as a patriarch, over other bishoprics, or the supreme jurisdiction of the pope as supreme bishop.
noun
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the state of being first in rank, grade, etc
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Christianity the office, rank, or jurisdiction of a primate or senior bishop or (in the Roman Catholic Church) the pope
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of primacy
1350–1400; Middle English primacie < Medieval Latin prīmātia, alteration of Latin prīmātus ( prīm ( us ) prime + -ātus -ate 3 ); see -y 3
Explanation
Something with primacy has first importance. If you are deciding who to take on an all-expenses-paid trip up the Amazon, the quality of being chill and fun might take primacy over the number of years you've been friends. Primacy comes from primary, meaning first, and it is like a condition of always having first place. If you are the teacher’s pet, you might have primacy over your classmates. You can also talk about primacy within a field. Madonna, Beyonce, and Shakira have all at one time or another achieved primacy in the field of pop music. Keep practicing, maybe you'll be next.
Vocabulary lists containing primacy
Power Suffix: -acy
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President Obama's Farewell Address
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4.3: Origins and Impact of the Western European Empires in the North Atlantic (Sources 1–9)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They talk about its European-style organizing model, its uneasy alliance with the Democratic Party, the primacy of canvassing and volunteering, and the art of compromise.
From Slate ● Jul. 30, 2026
Counter Terrorism Policing North West said it had now "taken primacy for the investigation with the support of Greater Manchester Police".
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
That partnership produces research that supports American jobs and America’s scientific primacy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026
“It is about sustaining American military primacy, making other states fear and respect us,” Emma Ashford of the Stimson Center, a research group in Washington, explained in the article.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2026
All the regional voting blocs—New England, the Middle Atlantic, and the South—could cite plausible reasons for claiming primacy.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
