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1. Dictionary

   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

   • P

     3

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • M

     3

   • A

     1

   • R

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   • Y

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

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

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

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

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › primary

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

   www.dictionary.com › browse › primary

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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.

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

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primary

   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).

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

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   18 meanings: 1. first in importance, degree, rank, etc 2. first in position or time, as in a series 3. fundamental; basic 4..... Click for more definitions.

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

   www.thefreedictionary.com › primary

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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...

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › englishprimary adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › definition › english

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   Definition of primary adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.