Synonyms 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.

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

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

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

1. primary

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

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

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primary, primary electionnoun

   a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen

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

   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

2. primary, primary feather, primary quillnoun

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

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

   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)

3. primarynoun

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

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

   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

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"

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

   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

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"

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

   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

6. primaryadjective

   not derived from or reducible to something else; basic

   "a primary instinct"

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

   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

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"

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

   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

9. basal, primaryadjective

   of primary importance

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

   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

Matched Categories

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

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   primitive, aboriginal, original, primordial, primeval, pristine, first

2. primaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   chief, principal, leading

3. primaryadjective

   Synonyms:
   elementary, lowest

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "primary":

   elementary, main, principal, major, first, primaire, basic, key, initial, paramount, overriding, parent, preliminary, primaria, junior, senior, prime, fundamental, grassroots, primary-school, grass-roots, front-line, primordial, core, chief, primaires, leading, essential, overarching, trial, resource-based, input, pre-secondary, principale, primaries

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

1. primary

   Synonyms:
   Primary cancer

How to pronounce primary?

How to say primary in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use primary in a sentence?

1. Jonny Kim:

   Chris Kyle was the Primary Sniper, Navigator, Pointman, and newguys kind of get matched up to a person. He was the person I got matched up to, because I would eventually be groomed to take on his responsibilities, so early on, I got tasked with being the Assistant Lead Navigator and Point Man and Sniper, which I eventually got to take on these roles more as a Primary later, and in workup and also on deployment.

2. Michele Spoont:

   Dr. Fortney’s intervention developed a method to extend the reach of the specialized PTSD services to the community primary care clinics by using telehealth technology, not only does it make it easier for veterans to get the specialized treatments, but maybe it will help those veterans who are hesitant to go to a mental health program get evidence-based PTSD treatment if it is offered in a primary care setting.

3. The Texas senator:

   Donald Trump could end up exceeding 50 percent of the vote in the GOP race, which would be a first for Donald Trump in any state and give Donald Trump a shot at claiming all 95 of the state's delegates. Incoming returns show him with roughly 62 percent. Fox News projects that Ohio Gov. John Kasich will place second in the state, leaving Texas Sen. Cruz to finish third.Cruz, though, has all along downplayed Trump’s New York performance as expected in Ohio Gov. John Kasich home state. The latest headlines on the 2016 elections from the biggest name in politics. See Latest Fox News also projects that Democrat Hillary Clinton will defeat Vermont Sen. Sanders in New York on the Democratic side. Primary front-runners Democrat Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both were seeking big rebound victories Tuesday after recent campaign setbacks. Texas Sen. Cruz has complicated Trump's path to the nomination by winning in recent contests like Wisconsin, and getting allies elected to several states' delegate slates. On the Democratic side, Sanders had been on a winning streak up until Tuesday -- claiming victory in seven of the eight prior contests. Whether Donald Trump and Clinton's performance Tuesday will be enough for either to wrap up the race in the coming weeks remains an open question. While the primary map seems to be shifting in the near-term to friendly territory for the front-runners, Trump in particular still faces a tough path to clinching the nomination pre-convention if his rivals choose to stay and fight. Texas Sen. Cruz, who infamously panned Trump's New York values earlier in the primary, had been bracing for a tough showing in the Empire State and showed no signs of throwing in the towel. The Texas senator was already looking ahead on the primary calendar, turning The Texas senator attention to Pennsylvania, where The Texas senator delivered a speech calling on Americans to join together to move the country forward. It is time for us to get up, shake it off and be who we were destined to be.

4. South Carolina:

   The North Carolina legislature needs to come to its senses on choosing a primary date, holding their primary in February would be disastrous for the state party and activists.

5. Richard Milhous Nixon:

   Violence or the threat of violence must never be permitted to influence the actions or judgments of the university community. Once it does, the community, almost by definition, ceases to be a university. It is for this reason that from time immemorial expulsion has been the primary instrument of university discipline.