primary

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen
  2. noun one of the main flight feathers projecting along the outer edge of a bird's wing
  3. noun (astronomy) a celestial body (especially a star) relative to other objects in orbit around it

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin prīmārius (“of the first (rank); chief, principal; excellent”), from prīmus (first; whence the English adjective prime) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French primaire, primer, and premier. Doublet of premier.

In classic literature

Synonyms

primary election

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