primary election

American  

noun

1. primary.

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primary election British  

noun

1. See primary

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Etymology

Origin of primary election

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

primary election

Data from the California secretary of state’s office show that 148,241 mail-in ballots were rejected in this year’s June primary election, equivalent to 1.73% of all mail ballots received.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

However, the upcoming convention will look more like the sort of nominating conventions that dominated party politics prior to the widespread adoption of the primary election nominating process.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 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

Bass was the top vote getter in the June 2 primary election, securing 34% of the vote, compared to 29% for Raman and about 26% for reality TV personality Spencer Pratt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 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