primary Definition

primary
adj

1. First or most important; principal.
2. Earliest in order or development.

Thesaurus: earliest, first, original, primal, primitive, primordial, primeval, initial, introductory, leading, basic, beginning, aboriginal.
3. geol.
Palaeozoic. See also secondary, tertiary.
Form: Primary
4. Basic; fundamental.

Thesaurus: fundamental, rudimentary, elementary, essential, underlying, cardinal, chief, basic, central; Antonym: secondary.
5. At the elementary stage or level.
6. Said of education, schools, classes etc: for children aged between 5 and 11. See also secondary, tertiary.

Example: Jane's in primary six
7. Said of a bird's wing feather: outermost and longest.
8. Firsthand; direct.

Example: primary sources of information
9. Said of a product or industry: being or concerned with produce in its raw natural state.
10a. elec.
Said of a battery or cell: producing electricity by an irreversible chemical reaction;
10b. elec.
Said of a circuit or current: inducing a current in a neighbouring circuit.

noun primaries

1. Something that is first or most important.
(US)
2. A preliminary election, especially to select delegates for a presidential election.
(Brit)
3. colloq
A primary school.
Example: attends the local primary
4. A bird's primary feather.
5. The Palaeozoic era.

Form: the Primary

Etymology: 15c: from Latin primarius, from primus first.