Primary

Being first in importance, rank, or time; the main or most important.

adjective

Primary

Being first in importance, rank, or time; the main or most important.

adjective

💡

Imagine This

Imagine a chef preparing a signature dish. The chef places the primary ingredient—the most important component—front and center, with other ingredients added afterward.

🔊

Sounds Like

PRY-muh-ree

👀

Looks Like

prime, principal

📝

Remember This

Primary comes from Latin primarius meaning chief or principal; it is related to prime and principal.

📚

Other Forms

primarynoun

primarilyadverb

primarinessnoun

🔗

Connect With

main, chief, principal, foremost, essential

📌

Note

Use primary to describe what is most important or first in a sequence. Distinguish from secondary or minor; it can also refer to primary sources (original documents) vs. secondary sources (reports about those documents).