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

After the June primary election, California elections officials were criticized for taking about a week to determine which gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral candidates would advance to November’s runoff.

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

If Eric Murphy loses his primary election on June 9, he believes he already knows one reason why.

From Salon ● 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