primary

American  

[prahy-mer-ee, -muh-ree] / ˈpraɪ mɛr i, -mə ri /

adjective

1. first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal.

   his primary goals in life.

   Synonyms:

   prime, main

   Antonyms:

   last

2. first in order in any series, sequence, etc.

   Antonyms:

   final, last

3. first in time; earliest; primitive.

   Synonyms:

   primeval, original

4. of, relating to, or characteristic of primary school.

   the primary grades.

5. constituting or belonging to the first stage in any process.

   Synonyms:

   opening, beginning

6. of the nature of the ultimate or simpler constituents of which something complex is made up.

   Animals have a few primary instincts.

7. 1. original; not derived or subordinate; fundamental; basic.

   2. (in scholarly studies) pertaining to or being a firsthand account, original data, etc., or based on direct knowledge, as in

8. immediate or direct, or not involving intermediate agency.

   primary perceptions.

9. Sociology. (of social values or ideals) conceived as derived from the primary group and culturally defined as being necessary to the welfare of the individual and society.

10. Ornithology. pertaining to any of the set of flight feathers situated on the distal segment of a bird's wing.

11. Electricity. noting or pertaining to the circuit, coil, winding, or current that induces current in secondary windings in an induction coil, transformer, or the like.

12. Chemistry.

    1. involving or obtained by replacement of one atom or group.

    2. noting or containing a carbon atom united to no other or to only one other carbon atom in a molecule.

13. Grammar.

    1. (of a derivative) having a root or other unanalyzable element as the underlying form.

       The word "dole" is a primary derivative formed by modification of "deal," and "phonograph" is a primary derivative from "phono-" and "-graph."

    2. (of Latin, Greek, Sanskrit tenses) having reference to present or future time.

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noun

primaries plural

1. something that is first in order, rank, or importance.

2. U.S. Politics.

   1. Also called primary election.  a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc.

   2. a meeting of the voters of a political party in an election district for nominating candidates for office, choosing delegates for a convention, etc.; caucus.

3. primary color.

4. Ornithology. a primary feather.

5. Electricity. a winding in a transformer or the like that carries a current and that induces a current in secondary windings.

6. Astronomy.

   1. a body in relation to a smaller body or smaller bodies revolving around it, as a planet in relation to its satellites.

   2. the brighter of the two stars comprising a double star.

verb (used with object)

primaried, primarying

1. U.S. Politics. to challenge or oppose (the incumbent) in a primary election, usually for strong ideological reasons (often used in passive constructions).

   The congressman was primaried by a more conservative candidate.

verb (used without object)

primaried, primarying

1. U.S. Politics. to run as a candidate in a primary election.

primary British  

/ ˈpraɪmərɪ /

adjective

1. first in importance, degree, rank, etc

2. first in position or time, as in a series

3. fundamental; basic

4. being the first stage; elementary

5. (prenominal) of or relating to the education of children up to the age of 11

6. (of the flight feathers of a bird's wing) growing from the manus

7. 1. being the part of an electric circuit, such as a transformer or induction coil, in which a changing current induces a current in a neighbouring circuit

      a primary coil

   2. (of a current) flowing in such a circuit Compare secondary

8. 1. (of a product) consisting of a natural raw material; unmanufactured

   2. (of production or industry) involving the extraction or winning of such products. Agriculture, fishing, forestry, hunting, and mining are primary industries Compare secondary tertiary

9. chem

   1. (of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to at least two hydrogen atoms

   2. (of an amine) having only one organic group attached to the nitrogen atom; containing the group NH 2

   3. (of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of one acidic hydrogen atom with a metal atom or electropositive group

10. linguistics

    1. derived from a word that is not a derivation but the ultimate form itself. Lovable is a primary derivative of love

    2. (of Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit tenses) referring to present or future time Compare historic

11. geology relating to magmas that have not experienced fractional crystallization or crystal contamination

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noun

1. a person or thing that is first in rank, occurrence, etc

2. Full name: primary election. 

   1. a preliminary election in which the voters of a state or region choose a party's convention delegates, nominees for office, etc See also closed primary direct primary open primary

   2. a local meeting of voters registered with one party to nominate candidates, select convention delegates, etc

3. See primary colour

4. any of the flight feathers growing from the manus of a bird's wing

5. a primary coil, winding, inductance, or current in an electric circuit

6. astronomy a celestial body around which one or more specified secondary bodies orbit

   the sun is the primary of the earth

primary Scientific  

/ prī′mĕr′ē /

1. Relating to a primary color.

2. Relating to plant tissues or growth derived from the apical meristem in the tips of roots and shoots, whose cells divide and elongate to cause the plant to grow lengthwise.

3. 1. Relating to or having a carbon atom that is attached to only one other carbon atom in a molecule.

   2. Relating to an organic molecule, such as an alcohol, in which the functional group is attached to a primary carbon. A primary alcohol, for example, has the hydroxyl (OH) group attached to the last carbon in a chain.

4. 1. Arising first and spontaneously, as a disease, disorder, or tumor, and not as a result of a known medical condition or injury.

   2. Relating to the first set of teeth that develops in humans.

5. Relating to the initial medical care given by a healthcare provider to a patient, especially in a setting of ambulatory, continuous care, and sometimes followed by referral to other medical providers.

6. Compare secondary tertiary

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Synonym Usage

See elementary.

Other Word Forms

• postprimary
  adjective
• primariness
  noun
• subprimary
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of primary

First recorded in 1425–75; (adjective) late Middle English, from Latin prīmārius “of the first rank, chief.” See prime, -ary

Explanation

Primary means basically "first." When you vote in a primary, that is the first election in a series. When a matter is of primary concern, it means it's of first importance. Primary school is the first you go to (after nursery school, at least). There's an interesting alternate system for counting first, second, third, etc. up to tenth. It's primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, quinary, senary, septenary, octonary, nonary, and denary. There's also a word for twelfth, duodenary, though that — along with all the words after tertiary — is rarely used.

Example Sentences

Primary baths feature slabs of marble behind a freestanding tub, radiant floor heating, and a glass-enclosed rain shower with a built-in bench.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026

Barbara Middleton, of Shiremoor Primary School in Newcastle, said she had so far declined to take up the government's free breakfast club offer due to the financial and logistical challenges involved.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Primary election ballots will begin hitting California voters’ mailboxes in just a few weeks, and Swalwell’s campaign had been gaining steam and financial support that may now be up for grabs by other candidates.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026

Hollybush Primary School in Londonderry has introduced a smartphone charter where parents voluntarily enter into a written agreement not to buy their child a device until after they finish primary seven.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Olanna ran past the town square on her way to Akwakuma Primary School in the morning.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• constitutional
• dominant
• elementary
• essential
• fundamental
• immediate
• initial
• leading
• main
• prime
• principal
• underlying
• vital