Definitions for primary
ˈpraɪ mɛr i, -mə ripri·ma·ry

Princeton's WordNet(2.43 / 7 votes)Rate this definition:

1. primary, primary electionnoun

   a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen

2. primary, primary feather, primary quillnoun

   one of the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing

3. primarynoun

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

4. primary coil, primary winding, primaryadjective

   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. primaryadjective

   of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary

   "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"

6. primaryadjective

   not derived from or reducible to something else; basic

   "a primary instinct"

7. chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a), master(a)adjective

   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. elementary, elemental, primaryadjective

   of or being the essential or basic part

   "an elementary need for love and nurturing"

9. basal, primaryadjective

   of primary importance

Wiktionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. primarynoun

   A primary election; a preliminary election to select a political candidate of a political party.

2. primarynoun

   The first year of grade school.

3. primarynoun

   A base or fundamental component; something that is irreducible.

4. primarynoun

   The most massive component of a gravitationally bound system.

5. primarynoun

   A primary school.

6. primarynoun

   Any flight feather attached to the manus (hand) of a bird.

7. primarynoun

   A primary colour.

8. primarynoun

   A directly driven inductive coil, as in a transformer or induction motor that is magnetically coupled to a secondary

9. primaryverb

   To take part in a primary election

10. primaryadjective

    The first in a group or series.

    Children attend primary school, teenagers attend secondary school.

11. primaryadjective

    That which is placed ahead of others.

    Preferred stock has primary claim on dividends, ahead of common stock.

12. Etymology: From the primarius, from primus (“first”; whence the adjective prime) + -arius (whence the suffix -ary); compare the primaire, primer, and premier.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. PRIMARYadjective

   Etymology: primarius, Lat.

   1. First in intention.

   The figurative notation of this word, and not the primary or literal, belongs to this place. Henry Hammond.

   2. Original; first.

   Before that beginning, there was neither primary matter to be informed, nor form to inform, nor any being but the eternal. Walter Raleigh, History of the World.

   When the ruins both primary and secondary were settled, the waters of the abyss began to settle too. Burnet.

   These I call original or primary qualities of body, which produce simple ideas in us, viz. solidity, extension, figure and motion. John Locke.

   3. First in dignity; chief; principal.

   As the six primary planets revolve about him, so the secondary ones are moved about them in the same sesquialteral proportion of their periodical motions to their orbs. Richard Bentley.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Primaryadjective

   first in order of time or development or in intention; primitive; fundamental; original

2. Primaryadjective

   first in order, as being preparatory to something higher; as, primary assemblies; primary schools

3. Primaryadjective

   first in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as, primary planets; a matter of primary importance

4. Primaryadjective

   earliest formed; fundamental

5. Primaryadjective

   illustrating, possessing, or characterized by, some quality or property in the first degree; having undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement

6. Primarynoun

   that which stands first in order, rank, or importance; a chief matter

7. Primarynoun

   a primary meeting; a caucus

8. Primarynoun

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

9. Primarynoun

   a primary planet; the brighter component of a double star. See under Planet

10. Etymology: [L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F. primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Primary

   "Primary" is the only single from The Cure's third studio album Faith, released in 1981 on Fiction Records. It was the first song by The Cure to be remixed as a separate extended mix for release on 12" single. In fact, the original 12" extended mix is, to this day, still only available on the original 12" single, which has never been reproduced on any other album, making it quite a rare item. The main difference between the 7" mix, and 12" mix is that the extended mix lengthens the instrumental introductions to the song's verses.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Primary

   prī′mar-i, adj. first: original: chief: primitive: elementary, preparatory.—n. that which is highest in rank or importance: a planet in relation to its satellite or satellites.—adv. Prī′marily.—ns. Prī′mariness, the state of being first in time, act, or intention; Prī′mary-ac′cent, the accent immediately after a bar in music.—ns.pl. Prī′mary-col′ours, the colours obtained by passing the sun's rays through a prism: the colours of the rainbow—red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet; Prī′mary-plan′ets, planets revolving round the sun—not satellites; Prī′mary-quills, the largest feathers of a bird's wing; Prī′mary-rocks, the rocks which seem to have been first formed and contain no animal remains, as granites, &c.

The Standard Electrical Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Primary

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

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. primary

   A perfect, accurate and specific facet.

   Primary school is vital for every child.

   
   

   Submitted by MaryC on March 4, 2020  

Matched Categories

1. • Astronomy
   • Celestial Body
   • Election
   • Flight Feather

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'primary' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1166

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'primary' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2105

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'primary' in Nouns Frequency: #3003

4. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'primary' in Adjectives Frequency: #145

How to pronounce primary?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say primary in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of primary in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of primary in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of primary in a Sentence

1. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez:

   Double standards are Paul Ryan being elected at 28 and immediately being given the benefit of his ill-considered policies considered genius ; and me winning a primary at 28 to immediately be treated with suspicion scrutinized, down to my clothing, of being a fraud.

2. Cody Meissner:

   It is very important that the main message that we still transmit is that we have got to get everyone two doses. Everyone has got the get the primary series, this booster dose is not likely to make a big difference in the behavior of this pandemic.

3. Charles Koch:

   I have no plans to support anybody in the primary now.

4. Mary Redmayne:

   It seems that many parents of primary school children want to be able to contact their child, but we have not researched this, it would be interesting to know other reasons.

5. Xero CEO Rod Drury:

   The primary thing is to get our new U.S. leadership team to do two or three quarters (with the company), so the earliest we would go now is early next year. But there's no hurry.

Popularity rank by frequency of use