primary growth

American  

noun

Botany.

1. growth in vascular plants, especially an increase in length, that results from cell division and differentiation of an apical meristem.

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primary growth Scientific  

1. Growth in vascular plants resulting from the production of primary tissues by an apical meristem. The plant body grows lengthwise chiefly by the enlargement of cells produced by the apical meristem (rather than by cell division). Because they lack secondary tissues, most monocots and herbaceous plants grow solely by primary growth until they reach maturity, when growth stops.

2. Compare secondary growth

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Compare meaning

How does primary-growth compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• primary growth vs. secondary growth

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

primary growth

Exports remained the primary growth driver for the world’s second-largest economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

AI solutions are now the primary growth driver for Google Cloud, with customers showing high demand for Gemini-powered AI agents, the company said on the earnings call.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

Fast-food chains are increasingly treating beverages as a primary growth driver rather than a side item.

From Barron's ● Apr. 13, 2026

Alibaba Chief Executive Eddie Wu stated the company maintained strong investments in AI, which will be a primary growth engine.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

Secondary tumours derived from the thyreoid gland require special mention, because they are peculiar in that neither the primary growth in the thyreoid nor the secondary growth in the bones is necessarily malignant.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis