primary

/ˈpraɪmɛri/

/ˈpraɪmɛri/

Other forms: primaries

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).

There's an interesting alternate system for counting first, second, third, etc. up to tenth. It's primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary, quinary, senary, septenary, octonary, nonary, and denary. There's also a word for twelfth, duodenary, though that — along with all the words after tertiary — is rarely used.

Definitions of primary

1. adjective

   of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary
   “primary goals”

   “a primary effect”

   “primary sources”

   “a primary interest”

   synonyms:

   essential

   basic and fundamental

   first

   preceding all others in time or space or degree

   original

   being or productive of something fresh and unusual; or being as first made or thought of

   capital

   of primary importance

   direct

   being an immediate result or consequence

   firsthand

   received directly from a source

   first-string

   being a regular member of a team

   original

   (of e.g. information) not secondhand or by way of something intermediary

   particular, special

   first and most important

   antonyms:

   secondary

   being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate

   inessential, unessential

   not basic or fundamental

   unoriginal

   not original; not being or productive of something fresh and unusual

   alternate, alternative, substitute

   serving or used in place of another

   auxiliary, subsidiary, supplemental, supplementary

   functioning in a supporting capacity

   collateral

   accompanying; concomitant

   indirect

   not as a direct effect or consequence

   secondhand

   derived from what is primary or original; not firsthand

   second-string

   being a replacement or substitute for a regular member of a team

   standby

   ready for emergency use

   thirdhand

   derived from what is primary or original by two intermediate steps

   tributary

   (of a stream) flowing into a larger stream

   substitute, utility

   capable of substituting in any of several positions on a team

   vicarious

   experienced at secondhand
2. adjective

   of primary importance
   synonyms: basal

   essential

   basic and fundamental
3. adjective

   most important
   “policemen were primary targets”

   synonyms: chief, main, master, principal

   important, of import

   of great significance or value
4. adjective

   of or being the essential or basic part
   synonyms: elemental, elementary

   basic

   pertaining to or constituting a base or basis
5. adjective

   not derived from or reducible to something else; basic
   “a primary instinct”

   synonyms:

   underived

   not derived; primary or simple
6. noun

   a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen
   synonyms: primary election

   types:

   direct primary

   a primary where voters directly select the candidates who will run for office

   closed primary

   a primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote

   open primary

   a primary in which any registered voter can vote (but must vote for candidates of only one party)

   type of:

   election

   a vote to select the winner of a position or political office
7. noun

   one of the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing
   synonyms: primary feather, primary quill

   type of:

   flight feather, pinion, quill, quill feather

   any of the larger wing or tail feathers of a bird
8. noun

   (astronomy) a celestial body (especially a star) relative to other objects in orbit around it
   type of:

   celestial body, heavenly body

   a natural object visible in the sky
9. noun

   coil forming the part of an electrical circuit such that changing current in it induces a current in a neighboring circuit
   “current through the primary coil induces current in the secondary coil”

   synonyms: primary coil, primary winding

   type of:

   coil

   reactor consisting of a spiral of insulated wire that introduces inductance into a circuit