primary election

American  

noun

1. primary.

---

primary election British  

noun

1. See primary

---

Etymology

Origin of primary election

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

primary election

Republicans who want to vie for the seat will be able to file starting July 21, and the primary election will be Aug. 11, with a possible Aug. 25 runoff.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Graham had recently won a primary election to seek a fourth Senate term in the November mid-terms.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

Murphy’s third colleague who also represents District 43, Republican State Sen. Jeff Barta, campaigned alongside him in 2022 as part of a unified Republican ticket when the primary election was uncontested.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2026

Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman surged past reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the city’s mayoral primary election Sunday, capping off a five-day turnaround after she fell behind Pratt on election night.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026

Allwright, the Supreme Court ended the use of the all-white primary election; and in 1946, the Court ruled that state laws requiring segregation on interstate buses were unconstitutional.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander