Primary
Definition
Primary is an adjective referring to something that is first in importance, order, or time. It is also used as a noun to denote a preliminary election or an early level of education.
Parts of Speech
- Adjective
- Noun
Pronunciation
American English
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈpraɪˌmɛr.i/, /ˈpraɪ.mə.ri/
- Respelling: PRY-mer-ee, PRY-muh-ree
British English
- IPA Pronunciation: /ˈpraɪ.mə.ri/
- Respelling: PRY-muh-ree
Etymology
The word "primary" originates from the Latin "primarius," meaning "first or chief," derived from "primus," meaning "first." It entered Middle English through Old French in the 14th century.
Derivatives
- Primarily (adverb)
- Primacy (noun)
- Primary school (noun)
- Primary election (noun)
- Primary colors (noun)
Synonyms
- Main
- Principal
- Chief
Antonyms
- Secondary
- Minor
- Unimportant
Usage
The term "primary" is used in various contexts, such as describing importance, elections, or education. Examples include "The primary goal of the project is sustainability" and "He won the state’s primary election."
Related Terms
- Secondary: Something of less importance or occurring after the primary.
- Main: Refers to the most important part or feature.
- Fundamental: Refers to something that forms the basis of something else.
Detailed Definitions
Adjective
- First in importance or rank: Refers to something considered most significant.
- Example: "Education is a primary concern for the government."
- Occurring first in order or time: Refers to something that happens before others.
- Example: "Her primary focus was completing the initial phase of the project."
- Fundamental or basic: Refers to foundational elements.
- Example: "He explained the primary principles of physics."
Noun
- A preliminary election: Refers to a vote to select candidates for a general election.
- Example: "The candidate secured a majority in the primary."
- A basic level of education: Refers to schooling for young children.
- Example: "She teaches at a primary school."
primary
“Primary” means “most important”; therefore, the primary objective — the core aim — guides every smaller action we take.
Education is a primary concern for the government.
He explained the primary principles of physics.
🇨🇳 Mandarin
- 主要 (zhǔyào) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /ʈʂù.jâu/
- English respelling: zhu-yao
- 初级 (chūjí) - referring to a basic level
- IPA: /ʈʂʰū.tɕǐ/
- English respelling: chu-ji
🇮🇳 Hindi
- प्रमुख (pramukh) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /pɾəmʊkh/
- English respelling: pra-mukh
- प्राथमिक (prāthamik) - referring to a basic level
- IPA: /pɾaːt̪ʰəmɪk/
- English respelling: pra-tha-mik
🇪🇸 Spanish
- Principal
- IPA: /pɾinˈsipal/
- English respelling: prin-si-pal
- Primario
- IPA: /pɾiˈmaɾjo/
- English respelling: pri-ma-rio
🇫🇷 French
- Principal
- IPA: /pʁɛ̃sipal/
- English respelling: pran-see-pal
- Primaire
- IPA: /pʁimɛʁ/
- English respelling: pri-maire
🇸🇦 Modern Standard Arabic
- رئيسي (ra'īsī) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /raʔiːsiː/
- English respelling: ra-i-si
- أولي (awwalī) - meaning "first" or "primary"
- IPA: /ʔawːaliː/
- English respelling: awwa-li
🇧🇩 Bengali
- প্রধান (pradhāna) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /prod̪ʱan/
- English respelling: pra-dha-na
- প্রাথমিক (prāthamika) - referring to a basic level
- IPA: /praːt̪ʰomik/
- English respelling: pra-tho-mik
🇷🇺 Russian
- Основной (osnovnoy) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /ˈosnəvnɐj/
- English respelling: os-nov-noy
- Первичный (pervichnyy) - referring to a basic level
- IPA: /pʲɪrˈvʲit͡ɕnɨj/
- English respelling: per-vich-nyy
🇵🇹 Portuguese
- Principal
- IPA: /pɾĩsiˈpal/
- English respelling: prin-si-pal
- Primário
- IPA: /pɾiˈmaɾju/
- English respelling: pri-ma-rio
🇮🇩 Indonesian
- Utama
- IPA: /ʊtama/
- English respelling: u-tama
- Primer
- IPA: /primɛr/
- English respelling: pri-mer
🇩🇪 German
- Haupt-
- IPA: /haʊ̯pt/
- English respelling: haupt
- Primär
- IPA: /priˈmɛːɐ̯/
- English respelling: pri-maer
🇯🇵 Japanese
- 主要な (shuyōna) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /ɕɯ̟ᵝjoːna/
- English respelling: shu-yo-na
- 初級 (shokyū) - referring to a basic level
- IPA: /ɕo̞kʲɯ̟ᵝː/
- English respelling: sho-kyu
🇻🇳 Vietnamese
- Chính
- IPA: /cǐŋm˧˧/
- English respelling: ching
- Sơ cấp
- IPA: /səː kəːp˧˧/
- English respelling: so cap
🇰🇷 Korean
- 주요한 (juyo-han) - meaning "main"
- IPA: /dʑu.jo.han/
- English respelling: ju-yo-han
- 초급 (cho-geub) - referring to a basic level
- IPA: /t͡ɕʰo.ɡɯp̚/
- English respelling: cho-geup
🇹🇷 Turkish
- Ana
- IPA: /ana/
- English respelling: a-na
- Birincil
- IPA: /biɾindʒil/
- English respelling: bi-rin-jil
Primary
Definition
Primary refers to the first or highest in rank or importance; chief; principal.
Parts of Speech
"Primary" is used as an adjective and as a noun.
Pronunciation
- IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet): /ˈpraɪˌmeri/
- American English respelling: pry-mair-ee
- British English respelling: pry-muh-ree
Etymology
The term "primary" originates from the Latin word "primarius" meaning "of the first rank, chief", from "primus" which means "first".
Derivatives
- Primarily
- Primariness
- Primary school
- Primary color
- Primacy
Synonyms
- Principal
- Fundamental
- Leading
Antonyms
- Secondary
- Subordinate
- Auxiliary
Usage
"Primary" is often used to refer to the most important or main factor, element, or agent in a matter or situation.
Related Terms
- Primary school: A school for children aged between about five and eleven years old.
- Primary color: Any of a group of colors from which all other colors can be derived.
- Primary source: An original source that informs directly, not through another source.
Detailed Definition
As an adjective, "primary" means:
- Of chief importance; principal.
- Example: The primary goals of the project must be met before proceeding.
- Not derived from or dependent on something else; basic or original.
- Example: The research was based on primary data gathered from the experiment.
As a noun, "primary" can refer to:
- An election that narrows the field of candidates before an election for office.
- Example: She announced her candidacy just before the state's primary.
- In the field of education, a primary school.
- Example: The children are now attending primary.
🇵🇰 Urdu
- بنیادی (bunyādī) - meaning "fundamental"
- IPA: /bʊnjaːdiː/
- English respelling: bun-ya-di
- مرکزی (markazī) - meaning "central"
- IPA: /məɾkəziː/
- English respelling: mar-ka-zi
