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   primary

   /ˈprʌɪm(ə)ri/

   adjective

   • 1. of chief importance; principal: "the government's primary aim is to see significant reductions in unemployment" Similar mainchiefkeyprimecentralprincipalforemostfirstmost importantpredominantparamountoverridingmajorrulingdominantmastersupremecardinalpre-eminentultimateinformal:number-oneOpposite secondarysubordinate
   • 2. earliest in time or order: "the primary stage of their political education" Similar originalearliestinitialbeginningfirstessentialfundamentalbasicOpposite secondary
   • ▪ relating to or denoting education for children between the ages of about five and eleven: British "a primary teacher"
   • 3. not derived from, caused by, or based on anything else; original: "his expert handling of the primary and secondary literature is clear on every page"
   • ▪ belonging to or directly derived from the first stage of development or growth: "a primary bone tumour"
   • 4. (of an organic compound) having its functional group located on a carbon atom which is bonded to no more than one other carbon atom: "a primary alcohol"
   • ▪ (chiefly of amines) derived from ammonia by replacement of one hydrogen atom by an organic group.
   • 5. denoting or relating to organisms that produce organic compounds from simple substances such as water and carbon dioxide, typically by photosynthesis: "the organic matter is formed by primary producers such as plants and plankton"
   • ▪ denoting or relating to consumer organisms at the lowest level in a community's food chain, which eat autotrophic organisms: "seed-eating birds and herbivorous insects are primary consumers"
   • 6. relating to or denoting the input side of a transformer or other inductive device.
   • 7. former term for Palaeozoic

   noun

   • 1. (in the US) a preliminary election to appoint delegates to a party conference or to select the candidates for a principal, especially presidential, election: "these two Republicans should win their primaries easily"
   • 2. a primary colour.
   • ▪ a primary feather.
   • ▪ the body orbited by a smaller satellite or companion.
   • ▪ a primary coil or winding in an electrical transformer.
   • 3. the Palaeozoic era. dated

   verb

   • 1. (in the US) run against (the current holder of a political office) in the preliminary election a party uses to select its candidate for the main election: "I'm not primarying the president, and no one else should either unless we want to lose the White House"

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘original, not derivative’): from Latin primarius, from primus ‘first’. The noun uses date from the 18th century.

   Scrabble Points: 14

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     4

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2. People also ask

   What does primary mean?

   • The meaning of PRIMARY is first in order of time or development : primitive. How to use primary in a sentence.

   Primary Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   What is the plural of primary?

   • , plural pri·ma·ries. something that is first in order, rank, or importance. 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.

   PRIMARY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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   What is a primary election?

   • : an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention She won the seat in 2020 after successfully primarying a veteran Democrat in the district. Brianne Pfannenstiel

   Primary Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   What is the difference between primary and primary school?

   • Primary means basically "first." When you vote in a primary, that is the first election in a series. When a matter is of primary concern, it means it's of first importance. Primary school is the first you go to (after nursery school, at least). There's an interesting alternate system for counting first, second, third, etc. up to tenth.

   Primary - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

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3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › primaryPrimary Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   1. : first in order of time or development : primitive. the primary stage of civilization. the primary lesion of a disease. 2. a. : of first rank, importance, or value : principal. the primary purpose. b. : basic, fundamental. security is a primary need. c. : of, relating to, or constituting the principal flight feathers of a bird's wing. d.

4. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishPRIMARY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

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   PRIMARY definition: 1. more important than anything else; main: 2. of or for the teaching of young children…. Learn more.

5. www.dictionary.com › browse › primaryPRIMARY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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   Dec 20, 1991 · Primary definition: first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal. See examples of PRIMARY used in a sentence.

6. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › primaryPRIMARY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › primary

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   PRIMARY meaning: 1. more important than anything else; main: 2. of or for the teaching of young children…. Learn more.

7. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primaryPrimary - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primary

   When you vote in a primary, that is the first election in a series. When a matter is of primary concern, it means it's of first importance. Primary school is the first you go to (after nursery school, at least).

8. www.thefreedictionary.com › primaryPrimary - definition of primary by The Free Dictionary

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   Define primary. primary synonyms, primary pronunciation, primary translation, English dictionary definition of primary. adj. 1. First or highest in rank or importance; principal. See Synonyms at chief. 2. a. Occurring first in time or sequence; earliest: the primary stages of...

9. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishPRIMARY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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