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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

primary en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpɹaɪˌmɛɹ.i/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈpɹaɪm.ɹiː/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹiː/ (New-Zealand)
  • [ˈpɹɑe̯m.ɹiː] (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈpɹɑe.m(ə.)ɹiː/ (Australia)
  • prīʹmə-rē (Canada, General-American)
  • [ˈpɹɑe̯.mə.ɹiː] (New-Zealand)
  • prīʹmĕr-ē (Canada, General-American)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹi/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīmārius (“of the first (rank); chief, principal; excellent”), from prīmus (first; whence the English adjective prime) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French primaire, primer, and premier. Doublet of premier.

Meanings

  1. First or earliest in a group or series.
    • the church of Christ, in its primary institution 1659, John Pearson, Exposition of the Creed:
    • Children attend primary school, and teenagers attend secondary school.
    • , Book II, Chapter VIII These I call original, or primary, qualities of body.
  2. Main; principal; chief; placed ahead of others.
  3. (qualifier:premiere; premier; premiere; premier) Earliest formed; fundamental.
    • Preferred stock has primary claim on dividends, ahead of common stock.
  4. Illustrating, possessing, or characterized by, some quality or property in the first degree; having undergone the first stage of substitution or replacement.
  5. Relating to the place where a disorder or disease started to occur.
  6. Relating to day-to-day care provided by health professionals such as nurses, general practitioners, dentists etc.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
most primary Degree=Sup lexicographic
more primary Degree=Cmp lexicographic

Deriveds

primary colour · primary forest · primary amine · primary healthcare · primary myelofibrosis · primary alcohol · primary tooth · primary data · coprimary · titan primary · primarily · primary production · subprimary · primary energy · primary bedroom · primary planet · primary memory · superprimary · preprimary · pseudoprimary · secundo-primary · primary work · primary care · primary radar · primary transcript · primary legislation · primary offense · primary rate interface · primary metabolite · primary life support system · primary school · primary producer · primary source · primary fire · primary poverty · primary cilium · primary time · primary key · primary education · primary accent · primary research · primary tense · postprimary · primary ideal · primary valence · pre-primary · primary goods · primary cell wall · nonprimary · megaprimary · primary time standard · primary hypothermia · primary stress · primary reinforcement · primary structure · primariness · primary phosphine · primary industry · primary surveillance radar · primary amoebic meningoencephalitis · primary explosive · primary market · primary immunodeficiency · primary adrenal insufficiency · primary residence · primary storage · primary sector · circumprimary · primary polycythemia · primary color · primary world

Relateds

primus inter pares · first

Translations (87)

ro primar (first in a group or series) · pt primárias (first in a group or series) · az ilk (first in a group or series) · ka პირველადი (that which is placed ahead of others) · pl główny (that which is placed ahead of others) · ka უმთავრესი (that which is placed ahead of others) · el πρωτοβάθμιος (first in a group or series) · fi ensi- (first in a group or series) · ko 본래의 (that which is placed ahead of others) · as প্ৰাথমিক (first in a group or series) · ka პირველადი (first in a group or series) · nl voornaamste (that which is placed ahead of others) · as মৌলিক (first in a group or series) · tl pangunahin (first in a group or series) · io primara (first in a group or series) · mhr тӱҥ (that which is placed ahead of others) · nrf primaithe (first in a group or series) · ca primari (first in a group or series) · az ilkin (that which is placed ahead of others) · ja 最初の (that which is placed ahead of others) · eo primara (first in a group or series) · ar أَوَّلِيّ (that which is placed ahead of others) · hu elsődleges (that which is placed ahead of others) · vi chính (that which is placed ahead of others) · hi प्रथम (first in a group or series) · hu első (that which is placed ahead of others) · cmn 最初 (that which is placed ahead of others) · sv huvud- (that which is placed ahead of others) · fi perus- (first in a group or series) · ceb nauna (that which is placed ahead of others) · vi sơ cấp (first in a group or series) · cmn 第一的 (that which is placed ahead of others) · pt primária (first in a group or series) · ru перви́чный (that which is placed ahead of others) · es primario (that which is placed ahead of others) · pl podstawowy (that which is placed ahead of others) · hi प्रथम (that which is placed ahead of others) · ru перви́чный (first in a group or series) · vi sơ bộ (first in a group or series) · it primario (that which is placed ahead of others) · ka ძირითადი (that which is placed ahead of others) · pt primário (first in a group or series) · kk бастапқы (that which is placed ahead of others) · hi प्राथमिक (that which is placed ahead of others) · fr prioritaire (that which is placed ahead of others) · ca primària (that which is placed ahead of others) · id pokok (that which is placed ahead of others) · vi chính yếu (that which is placed ahead of others) · hi प्राथमिक (first in a group or series) · grc κεφάλαιος (that which is placed ahead of others) · ca primari (that which is placed ahead of others) · sv primär (that which is placed ahead of others) · el πρωτογενής (first in a group or series) · az ibtidai (that which is placed ahead of others) · id primer (first in a group or series) · as আগনি (first in a group or series) · ka თავდაპირველი (first in a group or series) · vi sơ đẳng (first in a group or series) · pt primários (first in a group or series) · ka უადრესი (first in a group or series) · ca primària (first in a group or series) · fi ensisijainen (that which is placed ahead of others) · ceb kinaunahan (first in a group or series) · es primario (first in a group or series) · ka უპირატესი (that which is placed ahead of others) · eo unuaranga (first in a group or series) · pt primário (that which is placed ahead of others) · bg първичен (first in a group or series) · fi ala- (first in a group or series) · vi bậc nhất (that which is placed ahead of others) · ceb kinaunhan (first in a group or series) · eo unuagrada (first in a group or series) · nb primær (that which is placed ahead of others) · fi ensimmäinen (first in a group or series) · az ilk (that which is placed ahead of others) · pl pierwszy (first in a group or series) · de primär (that which is placed ahead of others) · az başlanğıc (that which is placed ahead of others) · ka მთავარი (that which is placed ahead of others) · cs primární (that which is placed ahead of others) · da primær (that which is placed ahead of others) · vi chủ yếu (that which is placed ahead of others) · ka საწყისი (first in a group or series) · nn primær (that which is placed ahead of others) · sq parësore (first in a group or series) · ckb یەکەم (first in a group or series) · fr primaire (first in a group or series)

primary en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpɹaɪˌmɛɹ.i/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈpɹaɪm.ɹiː/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹiː/ (New-Zealand)
  • [ˈpɹɑe̯m.ɹiː] (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈpɹɑe.m(ə.)ɹiː/ (Australia)
  • prīʹmə-rē (Canada, General-American)
  • [ˈpɹɑe̯.mə.ɹiː] (New-Zealand)
  • prīʹmĕr-ē (Canada, General-American)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹi/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīmārius (“of the first (rank); chief, principal; excellent”), from prīmus (first; whence the English adjective prime) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French primaire, primer, and premier. Doublet of premier.

Meanings

  1. A primary election; a preliminary election to select a political candidate of a political party, or the first round of a two-round election.
    • In recent primaries, for example, nearly 4% of absentees were rejected in Philadelphia; 8% in Kentucky; and 20% in parts of New York City. 2020 September 14, Richard H. Pildes, “The three words that can avert an election nightmare”, in CNN:
    • Before Americans pick a president in November, they get to pick the candidates in a series of primaries and caucuses. […] Biden could still win New Hampshire’s primary through a write-in campaign, but the first sanctioned Democratic contest is in South Carolina in February. 2024 January 22, Zachary B. Wolf, “2024 US presidential primaries, explained”, in CNN:
  2. The first year of grade school.
  3. A base or fundamental component; something that is irreducible.
  4. The most massive component of a gravitationally bound system, such as a planet in relation to its satellites.
  5. A primary school.
    • Excellence in Cities offers a further development of this approach, whereby secondary schools operate with small clusters of primaries as mini-EAZs. 2001, David Woods, Martyn Cribb, Effective LEAs and school improvement:
  6. Any flight feather attached to the manus (hand) of a bird.
    • `Good Lord, look at that swiftlet, it's got two primaries missing from its left wing!' 2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 115:
  7. A primary colour.
    • By adding and subtracting the three primaries, cyan, yellow, and magenta are produced. These are called subtractive primaries. 2003, Julie A Jacko, Andrew Sears, The human-computer interaction handbook:
  8. The first stage of a thermonuclear weapon, which sets off a fission explosion to help trigger a fusion reaction in the weapon's secondary stage.
  9. A radar return from an aircraft (or other object) produced solely by the reflection of the radar beam from the aircraft's skin, without additional information from the aircraft's transponder.
  10. The primary site of a disease; the original location or source of the disease.
    • most common primaries
    • unknown primary
  11. A directly driven inductive coil, as in a transformer or induction motor that is magnetically coupled to a secondary.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
primaries Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

clown-car primary · firehouse primary · jungle primary · dual primary · false primary · invisible primary · money primary · Acela primary · direct primary

Translations (34)

hu előválasztás (preliminary election) · fi siipisulka (ornithology: flight feather) · es primero (first year of grade school) · ca fonamental (base or fundamental component) · pl podstawa (base or fundamental component) · pl lotka pierwszego rzędu (ornithology: flight feather) · fi ekaluokka (first year of grade school) · gd ite gàirdeanach (ornithology: flight feather) · mi matakīrea (ornithology: flight feather) · gd prìomh ite sgèith (ornithology: flight feather) · bg първични избори (preliminary election) · bg махово перо (ornithology: flight feather) · mi kira (ornithology: flight feather) · es básico (base or fundamental component) · fi esivaalit (preliminary election) · ca primari (base or fundamental component) · fi ensimmäinen luokka (first year of grade school) · fa نخستین (preliminary election) · de Handschwinge (ornithology: flight feather) · pl prawybory (preliminary election) · cs primárky (preliminary election) · ro alegeri preliminare (preliminary election) · ro alegeri primare (preliminary election) · fi perusta (base or fundamental component) · ca bàsic (base or fundamental component) · mi hikurangi (ornithology: flight feather) · vi (cuộc) bầu cử sơ bộ (preliminary election) · mi hikutau (ornithology: flight feather) · fa ابتدایی (first year of grade school) · es primaria (first year of grade school) · de Vorwahl (preliminary election) · pl pierwsza klasa (first year of grade school) · ca primària (first year of grade school) · es primarias (preliminary election)

primary en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈpɹaɪˌmɛɹ.i/ (Canada, General-American)
  • /ˈpɹaɪm.ɹiː/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹiː/ (New-Zealand)
  • [ˈpɹɑe̯m.ɹiː] (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈpɹɑe.m(ə.)ɹiː/ (Australia)
  • prīʹmə-rē (Canada, General-American)
  • [ˈpɹɑe̯.mə.ɹiː] (New-Zealand)
  • prīʹmĕr-ē (Canada, General-American)
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈpɹaɪ.mə.ɹi/ (Canada, General-American)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīmārius (“of the first (rank); chief, principal; excellent”), from prīmus (first; whence the English adjective prime) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French primaire, primer, and premier. Doublet of premier.

Meanings

  1. (US, intransitive, transitive) To challenge (an incumbent sitting politician) for their political party's nomination to run for re-election, through running a challenger campaign in a primary election, especially one that is more ideologically extreme.
    • These instances of “primarying,” according to many, make Congress more partisan and extreme. 2014, Robert G. Boatright, Congressional Primary Elections, page 8:
    • Trump has most Republican congressmen leery of opposing him on any issue, mainly out of fear of getting "primaried" by a Trump loyalist. 2020 August 11, Joe Traynor, “COMMUNITY VOICES: The test is coming for Republicans”, in The Bakersfield Californian:
    • Richard Hopkins, an epidemiologist who spent 19 years at the Florida Department of Health, told the Post, in reference to DeSantis administration officials, “They keep hoping it’s going to go away by itself. I don’t know what’s going on -- whether they’re afraid that they will get primaried by someone to their right if they take appropriate public health action.” 2020 July 28, Steve Benen, “DeSantis' response panned as 'divorced from scientific evidence'”, in MSNBC:
    • What political facts of life underpin the hopes and dreams of democratic politicians who would take on the awesome task of “primarying” a two-term incumbent governor 1980, Empire State Report, volumes 6-7, page 303:
    • According to Boatright, 774 instances of challengers “primarying” sitting House incumbents occurred between 1970 and 2010. 2017, Aaron S. King, Unfolding Ambition in Senate Primary Elections, page 19:
    • Democrats have made “primarying” a key technique for shifting the balance of power in Congress to the left. 2019, Lawrence Lessig, They Don't Represent Us: Reclaiming Our Democracy:
    • In the New England town where he ran a “couple of night clubs” . he was “primarying the mayor." 1974, Stan Steiner, The Islands: the Worlds of the Puerto Ricans, page 191:
    • The ad calls for loyal Tea Party members to step forward and run against all eighty-seven of the traitors in order to primary them. 2014, Uncle Sam, How Fox News KO'd The Republican Party:
    • Each of the past few election cycles has featured at least one instance of “primarying,” a challenge to an incumbent on the grounds that he or she is not sufficiently partisan. 2014, Sanford L. Jacobs, The Little Black Book of Political Wisdom:
    • In the last midterm election, every member of Congress who was defeated in a primary lost to a candidate who was more ideologically extreme. The message that sends to every other member is clear: If you work across the aisle to solve problems, prepare to be primaried and potentially defeated. 2020 August 7, Marc Merrill, Kathryn Murdoch, “How philanthropy could fix America’s broken politics”, in Fortune:
    • “My message to Kevin McCarthy is, take all of her committee assignments away … also, don’t support her when she runs for re-election again and try to get her primaried. If you say this is not your party, actually call it out and hold her accountable,” Hogg told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day.” 2021 January 28, Chandelis Duster, quoting David Hogg, “Parkland shooting survivor calls for House GOP leader to denounce Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene”, in CNN:
  2. (US, intransitive, transitive) To take part in a primary election.
    • Both were worried that Bailey would break some of their delegate commitments to keep them from primarying. 1981, Joseph I. Lieberman, The Legacy: Connecticut Politics, 1930-1980, page 171:
    • “That’s the fun part - finding out who’s the unknown person who may want to primary to get one of the positions,” Kolenberg said. 2017 July 13, Angela Carella, “Stamford town clerk seeks nomination despite ballot probe”, in Stamford Advocate:
    • First, I'd challenge my opponent for the convention nomination. If I didn't prevail at the convention, that would be my answer. I wouldn't “primary” him—meaning, I wouldn't force a statewide primary election if he and I were the only two candidates in the field. 2011, Christine O'Donnell, Troublemaker: Let's Do What It Takes to Make America Great Again, page 169:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
primaries Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
primaried Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
primaried Tense=Past lexicographic
primarying Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic