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Added 5 October 2026

primary

/ˈpɹaɪ.m(ə.)ɹi/ adjective

Latin root: prīmārius Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about primary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

First or earliest in a group or series.
Children attend primary school, and teenagers attend secondary school.
Main; principal; chief; placed ahead of others.
Earliest formed; fundamental.

noun

A primary election; a preliminary election to select a political candidate of a political party, or the first round of a two-round election.
The first year of grade school.
A base or fundamental component; something that is irreducible.

verb

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.
To take part in a primary election.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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