primary

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

adjective

first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal:

his primary goals in life.

first in order in any series, sequence, etc.

first in time; earliest; primitive.

of, pertaining to, or characteristic of primary school:

the primary grades.

constituting or belonging to the first stage in any process.

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

Animals have a few primary instincts.

original; not derived or subordinate; fundamental; basic.
(in scholarly studies) pertaining to or being a firsthand account, original data, etc., or based on direct knowledge, as in primary source; primary research.

immediate or direct, or not involving intermediate agency:

primary perceptions.

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.

involving or obtained by replacement of one atom or group.
noting or containing a carbon atom united to no other or to only one other carbon atom in a molecule.

13.

Grammar.

(of a derivative) having a root or other unanalyzable element as the underlying form.
(of Latin, Greek, Sanskrit tenses) having reference to present or future time.
Compare secondary (def 9).

noun, plural primaries.

14.

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

15.

U.S. Politics.

Also called primary election. a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc.
Compare closed primary, direct primary, indirect primary, open primary.
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.

16.

primary color.

17.

Ornithology. a primary feather.

18.

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

19.

Astronomy.

a body in relation to a smaller body or smaller bodies revolving around it, as a planet in relation to its satellites.
the brighter of the two stars comprising a double star.
Compare companion¹ (def 6).

Origin

1425-75; late Middle English (adj.) < Latin prīmārius of the first rank. See prime, -ary

Related forms

primariness, noun

postprimary, adjective

subprimary, adjective

Synonyms

1. main, prime. 3. original; primeval. 5. beginning, opening. See elementary.

Antonyms

1, 2. last. 2. final.

Examples from the web for primary

Suppose you have six primary devices, each serving a different function.
But that's not our primary purpose here.
Your primary goal should be to create some visual separation.
So, the primary purpose was communication, even though beauty is figured in.
Intensify a primary flavor: dust roasted fennel with ground fennel seeds.
And I love the fact that the shades come in different primary colors.
There are 33 delegates at stake in the state's primary.
Steps have never been his primary interest anyway, in part because he came to dance far too late to master them.
Their primary travel focus is on hotel and resort accommodations.
Each secondary lobule is composed of several primary lobules, the anatomical units of the lung.

British Dictionary definitions for primary

primary

/ˈpraɪmərɪ/

adjective

first in importance, degree, rank, etc

first in position or time, as in a series

fundamental; basic

being the first stage; elementary

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

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

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

(of a product) consisting of a natural raw material; unmanufactured
(of production or industry) involving the extraction or winning of such products. Agriculture, fishing, forestry, hunting, and mining are primary industries Compare secondary (sense 7), tertiary (sense 3)

(chem)

(of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to at least two hydrogen atoms
(of an amine) having only one organic group attached to the nitrogen atom; containing the group NH2
(of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of one acidic hydrogen atom with a metal atom or electropositive group

10.

(linguistics)

derived from a word that is not a derivation but the ultimate form itself. Lovable is a primary derivative of love
(of Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit tenses) referring to present or future time Compare historic (sense 3)

11.

(geology) relating to magmas that have not experienced fractional crystallization or crystal contamination

noun (pl) -ries

12.

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

13.

(in the US)

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

Full name primary election

14.

See primary colour

15.

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

16.

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

17.

(astronomy) a celestial body around which one or more specified secondary bodies orbit: the sun is the primary of the earth

Word Origin

C15: from Latin prīmārius of the first rank, principal, from prīmus first

Word Origin and History for primary

adj.

early 15c., "of the first order," from Latin primarius "of the first rank, chief, principal, excellent," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)). Meaning "first in order" is from 1802. Primary color is first recorded 1610s (at first the seven of the spectrum, later the three from which others can be made); primary school is 1802, from French école primaire.

The Paris journals ... are full of a plan, brought forward by Fourcroy, for the establishment of primary schools, which is not interesting to an English reader. [London "Times," April 27, 1802]

Related: Primarily.

1861, American English, short for primary election (1792, with reference to France; in a U.S. context from 1835); earlier primary caucus (1821).

primary in Medicine

primary pri·mar·y (prī'měr'ē, -mə-rē)
adj.

Being first or highest in importance; principal.
Occurring first in time or sequence; earliest.
Preliminary to a later stage of development; primordial; embryonic.
Immediate; direct.
Of, relating to, or being a sequence of amino acids in a protein.

primary in Science

primary

(prī'měr'ē)

Relating to a primary color.
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.
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.
3. Arising first and spontaneously, as a disease, disorder, or tumor, and not as a result of a known medical condition or injury.
4. Relating to the first set of teeth that develops in humans.
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.
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. Compare secondary, tertiary.