How to spell primary

Primary is spelled P-R-I-M-A-R-Y. PRIM, as in prime, then -ARY, as in library: pri-ma-ry.

hear itpri·ma·ry/'praɪmɛri/adjectiveSilent and tricky

What it means: Main or most important.

In a sentence: The primary color of the sky is blue.

Same family: prime, primitive, primarily, primate, primary-election. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: Primary comes from the Latin word *primarius*, meaning “of the first rank” or “chief,” which itself comes from *primus*, meaning “first.” In politics, a “primary” is literally the first round of choosing who will move on to the main election.

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