Antonyms for primary
ˈpraɪ mɛr i, -mə ripri·ma·ry

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primary

   Aboriginal (Latin ab, from, origo, origin) signifies pertaining to the aborigines or earliest known inhabitants of a country in the widest sense, including not merely human beings but inferior animals and plants as well. Autochthonic (Greek autos, self, and chthōn, earth) signifies sprung from the earth, especially from the soil of one's native land. Primeval (Latin primum, first, and ævum, age), signifies strictly belonging to the first ages, earliest in time, but often only the earliest of which man knows or conceives, immemorial. Aboriginal, autochthonic, and primeval combine the meanings of ancient and original; aboriginal inhabitants, autochthonic races, primeval forests. Prime and primary may signify either first in time, or more frequently first in importance; primary has also the sense of elementary or preparatory; we speak of a prime minister, a primary school. Primal is chiefly poetic, in the sense of prime; as, the primal curse. Primordial is first in an order of succession or development; as, a primordial leaf. Primitive frequently signifies having the original characteristics of that which it represents, as well as standing first in time; as, the primitive church. Primitive also very frequently signifies having the original or early characteristics without remoteness in time. Primeval simplicity is the simplicity of the earliest ages; primitive simplicity may be found in retired villages now. Pristine is an elegant word, used almost exclusively in a good sense of that which is original and perhaps ancient; as, pristine purity, innocence, vigor. That which is both an original and natural product of a soil or country is said to be indigenous; that which is actually produced there is said to be native, though it may be of foreign extraction; humming-birds are indigenous to America; canaries may be native, but are not indigenous. Immemorial refers solely to time, independently of quality, denoting, in legal phrase, "that whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary;" as, an immemorial custom; an immemorial abuse. Compare OLD.

   Compare synonyms for NEW.

   Antonyms:
   adventitious, exotic, foreign, fresh, late, modern, new, novel, recent

   Synonyms:
   aboriginal, ancient, autochthonic, immemorial, indigenous, native, old, original, patriarchal, primal, prime, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, uncreated

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primary

   Antonyms:
   secondary, subordinate, posterior, unimportant, inferior, subsequent, later

   Synonyms:
   first, original, earliest, elementary, chief, principal, important, leading, primitive, pristine

Matched Categories

1. • Astronomy
   • Celestial Body
   • Election
   • Flight Feather

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primary, primary electionnoun

   a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen

   Antonyms:
   supplemental, standby, secondhand, alternative, subsidiary, thirdhand, unimportant, derived, supplementary, substitute(a), vicarious, utility(a), secondary, substitute, unessential, alternate, tributary, incident, inessential, auxiliary, collateral, incidental, second-string, indirect

   Synonyms:
   primary coil, primary feather, primary quill, primary election, primary winding

2. primary, primary feather, primary quillnoun

   one of the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing

   Antonyms:
   auxiliary, unessential, secondhand, secondary, vicarious, standby, substitute(a), collateral, alternative, substitute, tributary, alternate, unimportant, incidental, second-string, inessential, supplementary, thirdhand, derived, supplemental, incident, indirect, subsidiary, utility(a)

   Synonyms:
   primary coil, primary feather, primary quill, primary election, primary winding

3. primarynoun

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

   Antonyms:
   utility(a), vicarious, alternate, incidental, substitute, secondhand, unimportant, substitute(a), alternative, incident, subsidiary, secondary, second-string, tributary, supplemental, thirdhand, indirect, auxiliary, derived, inessential, supplementary, unessential, standby, collateral

   Synonyms:
   primary coil, primary feather, primary quill, primary election, primary winding

4. primary coil, primary winding, primaryadjective

   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"

   Antonyms:
   auxiliary, unessential, subsidiary, tributary, vicarious, second-string, indirect, incidental, utility(a), collateral, secondary, secondhand, alternative, substitute(a), supplementary, alternate, derived, supplemental, incident, thirdhand, standby, substitute, inessential, unimportant

   Synonyms:
   primary coil, primary feather, primary quill, primary election, primary winding

5. primaryadjective

   of first rank or importance or value; direct and immediate rather than secondary

   "primary goals"; "a primary effect"; "primary sources"; "a primary interest"

   Antonyms:
   secondhand, supplementary, standby, utility(a), tributary, substitute, alternate, incidental, collateral, auxiliary, alternative, vicarious, supplemental, indirect, second-string, thirdhand, subsidiary, substitute(a), secondary, unessential, derived, unimportant, inessential, incident

   Synonyms:
   main(a), chief(a), basal, master(a), principal(a), elemental, elementary, primary(a)

6. primaryadjective

   not derived from or reducible to something else; basic

   "a primary instinct"

   Antonyms:
   secondary, unessential, vicarious, incident, supplemental, secondhand, collateral, substitute, second-string, alternative, auxiliary, thirdhand, standby, alternate, inessential, subsidiary, unimportant, tributary, incidental, substitute(a), utility(a), supplementary, derived, indirect

   Synonyms:
   main(a), chief(a), basal, master(a), principal(a), elemental, elementary, primary(a)

7. chief(a), main(a), primary(a), principal(a), master(a)adjective

   most important element

   "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch"

   Antonyms:
   incidental, vicarious, tributary, standby, alternative, incident, subsidiary, supplemental, indirect, supplementary, collateral, utility(a), substitute(a), derived, inessential, alternate, secondhand, second-string, auxiliary, unessential, thirdhand, substitute, unimportant, secondary

8. elementary, elemental, primaryadjective

   of or being the essential or basic part

   "an elementary need for love and nurturing"

   Antonyms:
   alternate, thirdhand, secondary, secondhand, tributary, standby, utility(a), supplemental, collateral, indirect, inessential, unessential, incident, substitute(a), alternative, substitute, derived, second-string, incidental, subsidiary, auxiliary, unimportant, vicarious, supplementary

   Synonyms:
   main(a), chief(a), simple, master(a), elementary, unproblematic, principal(a), elemental, primary(a), basal, uncomplicated

9. basal, primaryadjective

   of primary importance

   Antonyms:
   tributary, indirect, derived, subsidiary, incident, substitute, supplementary, secondary, vicarious, auxiliary, second-string, unessential, unimportant, secondhand, supplemental, incidental, substitute(a), utility(a), alternate, standby, alternative, collateral, inessential, thirdhand

   Synonyms:
   main(a), chief(a), base, elementary, master(a), principal(a), elemental, radical, primary(a), basal

Concise Medical Dictionary, by Joseph C Segen, MDRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primary

   Synonyms:
   Primary cancer

How to use primary in a sentence?

1. Patrick Kennedy:

   President Kennedy signed the original Community Mental Health Act of ’63. Attorney General Robert Kennedy created the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in order to intervene early in young people’s lives, and my father was primary Senate sponsor of parity, these issues, and the incredible legacy that they all had on civil rights – from JFK being the first president to address the issue on national TV to RFK standing with Dr. King to my father’s seminal work on the Voting Rights Act – and immigration reform, are at the heart of my family’s legacy.

2. Roger Lau:

   After Wisconsin nearly one-third of the pledged delegates will still be waiting to be elected, and there will be a three-week gap between electing delegates for the first time since voting began, in the road to the nomination, the Wisconsin primary is halftime, and the convention in Milwaukee is the final play.

3. Bill Salvin:

   Our primary focus right now is on response and cleaning it up as quickly as we can.

4. Scott Huffmon:

   African-Americans are the absolute must-haves of the South Carolina Democratic Primary.

5. Steve Jobs:

   I've always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do.

How to pronounce primary?

How to say primary in sign language?

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