primary
PREYE-mree
Primary (adj) means Most important; main. Example: “The primary reason for our trip is to visit my grandparents.”
adj
1
Most important; main.
"The primary reason for our trip is to visit my grandparents."
"Her primary concern was her children's safety."
"The primary cause of the delay was bad weather."
2
First in a sequence or order; earliest.
"Primary education typically begins around age five."
"The primary step in the recipe is to heat the oven."
"In the primary stage of the experiment, we only collected samples."
noun
1
An election held to choose a party's candidate before the main election.
"Voters in the state will go to the polls next week for the primary."
"The senator won the primary easily and now faces the main contest."
"He lost the primary to a younger challenger."
How to use primary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe main or most important one, or (in politics) the vote that picks a party's candidate.
Common pairings
primary concern
primary school
win the primary
primary source
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Word forms
- Plural
- primaries
- Third person singular
- primaries
- Past tense
- primaried
- Comparative
- more primary
- Superlative
- most primary
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The _____ reason for our trip is to visit my grandparents.
Etymology
From Latin prīmārius, "of the first rank, chief," from prīmus ("first").
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for primary
See all rhymes for primary →Frequently asked questions
What does “primary” mean?
The word “primary” means most important; main. In plain terms, the main or most important one, or (in politics) the vote that picks a party's candidate.
How do you pronounce “primary”?
“Primary” is pronounced PREYE-mree (/ˈpɹaɪˌmɛɹ.i/ in IPA).
How do you use “primary” in a sentence?
Here is “primary” used in a sentence: “Her primary concern was her children's safety.”
What part of speech is “primary”?
Depending on how it is used, “primary” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “primary” come from?
The word “primary” comes from Latin. From Latin prīmārius, "of the first rank, chief," from prīmus ("first").
Is “primary” a common word?
“Primary” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “primary” have?
“Primary” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: most important; main.
What is the difference between primary and secondary?
Primary means first in rank, order, or importance — the main thing. Secondary means coming after it: less important, or derived from something else. A primary goal is the one that matters most; a secondary goal is a lesser addition. In research, a primary source is original, while a secondary source comments on or interprets it.
What is the difference between primary and principal?
The two are close and often interchangeable when they mean 'main' — a primary reason and a principal reason are much the same. 'Principal' leans slightly toward the single most senior or leading one, as in the principal dancer. 'Primary' emphasises being first or foundational. In most everyday sentences either word reads naturally.
What is an example of primary?
'Safety is our primary concern' means it outranks everything else. Other examples: a company's primary market, a patient's primary symptom, or your primary reason for a decision. In each case, 'primary' singles out the one item that leads or matters most, setting it above any secondary or supporting factors.
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