(pl. primaries) (also primary election) (in the US) an election in which people in a particular area vote to choose a candidate for a future important election the Illinois primary the presidential primaries He ran in the open primary for election as a state senator. the next round of primaries See related entries: Elections Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘original, not derivative’): from Latin primarius, from primus ‘first’. The noun uses date from the 18th cent. Wordfindercongresscaucus, congress, the Electoral College, House of Representatives, nomination, president, primary, running mate, senate, swing state
Check pronunciation: primary
