Definitions of primary [ˈpraɪ mɛr i, -mə ri]

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Definition of 'primary'

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

1. (adj.) primary
first in rank or importance; chief:
one's primary goal in life.

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

3.  primary
first in time; earliest.

4.  primary
of or pertaining to primary school:
the primary grades.

5.  primary
being of the simplest or most basic order of its or their kind:
a primary constituent; a primary classification.

6.  primary
immediate or direct; not involving intermediate agency:
primary perceptions.

7.  primary
pertaining to any of the set of flight feathers situated on the outermost segment of a bird's wing.

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

9.  primary
Chem.

10.  primary
involving or obtained by replacement of one atom or group.

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

12.  primary
Gram.

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

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

15. (n.) primary
something that is first in order or importance.

16.  primary
a preliminary election in which voters of each political party nominate candidates for office, party officers, etc.

17.  primary
a local meeting of party members to select candidates or delegates; caucus.

18.  primary
a primary feather.

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

20.  primary
the brighter of the two stars comprising a double star.

Etymology: (1425–75; late ME < L prīmārius of the first rank. See prime , -ary)

Definition of 'primary'

Princeton's WordNet

1. (noun) primary, primary election
a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen

2. (noun) primary, primary feather, primary quill
one of the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing

3. (noun) primary
(astronomy) a celestial body (especially a star) relative to other objects in orbit around it

4. (adj) primary coil, primary winding, primary
coil forming the part of an electrical circuit such that changing current in it induces a current in a neighboring circuit
"current through the primary coil induces current in the secondary coil"

5. (adj) primary
of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary
"primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"

6. (adj) primary
not derived from or reducible to something else; basic
"a primary instinct"

7. (adj) chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a), master(a)
most important element
"the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch"

8. (adj) elementary, elemental, primary
of or being the essential or basic part
"an elementary need for love and nurturing"

9. (adj) basal, primary
of primary importance

Definition of 'primary'

Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary

1. (adjective) primary
main or most important
the primary reason for childhood obesity

2. primary
first or initial
a primary tumor

Definition of 'primary'

Webster Dictionary

1. (adj) primary
first in order of time or development or in intention; primitive; fundamental; original

2. (adj) primary
first in order, as being preparatory to something higher; as, primary assemblies; primary schools

3. (adj) primary
first in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as, primary planets; a matter of primary importance

4. (adj) primary
earliest formed; fundamental

5. (adj) primary
illustrating, possessing, or characterized by, some quality or property in the first degree; having undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement

6. (noun) primary
that which stands first in order, rank, or importance; a chief matter

7. (noun) primary
a primary meeting; a caucus

8. (noun) primary
one of the large feathers on the distal joint of a bird's wing. See Plumage, and Illust. of Bird

9. (noun) primary
a primary planet; the brighter component of a double star. See under Planet

Definition of 'primary'

The Standard Electrical Dictionary

1. primary
A term used to designate the inducing coil in an induction coil or transformer; it is probably an abbreviation for primary coil.

Translation of 'primary'

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

Sense: first or most important his primary concern.
Afrikaans: hoof	Arabic: الأوَّ��، الأهَم	Bulgarian: главен
Brazilian: principal	Czech: prvořadý	German: wichtigst
Danish: vigtigst	Greek: πρωταρχικός	Spanish: principal
Estonian: esmane	Farsi: اصلی؛ اولیه	Finnish: ensisijainen
French: principal	Hebrew: עִיקָרִי	Hindi: आदिम, आदि
Hungarian: (leg)első, fő, elsődleges	Indonesian: utama	Icelandic: fyrstur, megin-
Italian: principale	Japanese: 第一の	Korean: 주요한
Lithuanian: svarbiausias	Latvian: galvenais; svarīgākais	Malay: utama
Dutch: hoofd-	Norwegian: først, opprinnelig, hoved	Polish: najważniejszy
Persian: اصلی؛ اولیه	Pashto: لومړنى، اصلى	Portuguese: principal
Romanian: principal	Russian: первостепенный, главный	Slovak: prvoradý
Slovenian: glaven	Serbian: najvažniji	Swedish: primär, första
Thai: ที่สำคัญที่สุด	Turkish: asıl, esas	Taiwanese: 主要的
Ukrainian: основний; найважливіший	Urdu: اہم ترين، اولين	Vietnamese: chủ yếu; hàng đầu
Chinese: 主要的
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