primary
primary — adjective
1. more important, serious, or significant than anything else in a particular situa
more important, serious, or significant than anything else in a particular situation — for example, the primary reason for a decision, the primary goal of a project, or a person's primary responsibility at work.
The primary reason Feng moved to Taipei was the job offer from the university.
primary + noun: primary reason
Safety is the primary concern when engineers design a new bridge.
primary + noun: primary concern
Ada's primary responsibility at the animal shelter is caring for the older dogs.
Reducing waste in the factory became the company's primary goal this year.
The primary purpose of the new law is to protect renters from unfair eviction.
- main
the everyday equivalent, wider register than primary
- principal
slightly more formal; often used for people (principal dancer) or abstract things (principal cause)
- chief
slightly dated; common in official job titles (chief executive)
- foremost
more literary or emphatic; suggests leading position among many
- secondary
less important than the primary concern or goal
- subordinate
lower in rank, often used in formal or organisational contexts
文法句型
primary + noun
用法筆記
Used almost always before a noun. Unlike most adjectives, 'primary' rarely appears after a linking verb to describe the subject (❌ 'This reason is primary.' ✅ 'This is the primary reason.').
常見錯誤
2. relating to the first stage of formal schooling, covering children from about ag
relating to the first stage of formal schooling, covering children from about age five up to around eleven, before they enter secondary school.
Eliska teaches music at a primary school in a village near Hsinchu.
primary + noun: primary school
Primary education in Taiwan covers the first six years of compulsory schooling.
primary + noun: primary education
The primary school near our house is organising a charity run next month.
Lara's daughter started primary school last September and loves the art classes.
Many primary teachers use games and stories to help children learn to read.
- elementary
more common in American English; covers the same age range
- early
broader term; can refer to any early stage, not just education
- secondary
relating to schooling for older children, typically ages 11-16 or 11-18
文法句型
primary + noun
用法筆記
Always used before a noun. In American English the term 'elementary school' is more common than 'primary school', though 'primary education' is used in both varieties. This sense does not apply to secondary or higher education.
常見錯誤
3. happening or developing first in a sequence, before other events, stages, or for
happening or developing first in a sequence, before other events, stages, or forms appear — for example, the primary stage of an illness, the primary layer of rock, or primary research data collected directly from original sources.
The primary stage of the project involves interviewing residents about their daily habits.
primary + noun: primary stage
Archaeologists found evidence of primary settlements along the river dating back thousands of years.
primary + noun: primary settlement
The primary symptoms of the illness appear within the first few days after infection.
In the primary phase of the experiment, Shanti tested the drug on twenty volunteers.
The primary layer of rock holds fossils millions of years older than the layer above it.
文法句型
primary + noun
用法筆記
Always used before a noun. When describing the first item in a simple sequence, 'first' is more common in everyday speech. 'Primary' carries a slightly more formal or scientific tone and often implies an early stage within a larger process or system.
primary — noun
1. a vote held in the United States to select the person that a political party wil
a vote held in the United States to select the person that a political party will put forward as its candidate in the main election for an office such as president, senator, or governor.
New Hampshire voters go to the polls in February for the first primary of the season.
first primary of the [season]
Turnout for the Democratic primary in Ohio was much higher than anyone had expected.
[party] + primary
Several candidates are competing in the Republican primary for a seat in the Senate.
The primary determines which candidate will represent each party in the general election in November.
Mark spent the weekend volunteering at a polling station during the state primary.
- primary election
the full form of the term, used in more formal contexts
- primary contest
emphasises the competitive nature of the election
- primary race
informal; focuses on the campaign aspect
- general election
the final election in which the public chooses the officeholder from the candidates selected in the primary
用法筆記
This is the general sense covering all types of US primary elections. For subtypes, see the 'closed primary' and 'open primary' senses. In informal speech, 'primary' is often shortened to just 'a primary' (e.g. 'She won the primary.'). The word is rarely used for elections outside the United States.
常見錯誤
2. a primary election whose rules restrict voting to people who have formally regis
a primary election whose rules restrict voting to people who have formally registered with that political party — independent and unaffiliated voters are not allowed to take part.
In a closed primary, only registered Democrats may vote for Democratic candidates.
closed primary — party membership restriction
Obi could not vote in the Republican primary because he is registered as an independent voter.
New York is one of several US states that use a closed primary system.
Supporters of closed primaries argue that they prevent members of other parties from influencing the outcome.
Paloma joined the party so she could vote in the closed primary for her preferred candidate.
- open primary
a primary in which any registered voter can participate, regardless of party affiliation
用法筆記
Used in contrast to 'open primary'. In a closed primary, party membership is checked at the polling station. Some states have 'semi-closed' primaries where independents may choose which party's primary to vote in.
3. a type of primary election in which any registered voter may choose which party'
a type of primary election in which any registered voter may choose which party's ballot to vote on, regardless of their own party affiliation — even voters who are not members of any party can participate.
In an open primary, voters can request either party's ballot at the polling station.
open primary — any voter may choose a party ballot
Zayd voted in the Democratic open primary even though he usually supports Republican candidates.
Texas has an open primary system that lets voters pick a party on election day.
Supporters of open primaries say the system encourages more people to vote.
The state switched from a closed to an open primary after a public referendum in 2018.
- closed primary
a primary in which only registered party members may vote
用法筆記
Used in contrast to 'closed primary'. In an open primary, a voter must choose one party's ballot and cannot split their votes across parties. Critics argue it allows 'raiding' — members of one party voting for a weaker candidate in the other party's primary.
primary — verb
1. to challenge a current officeholder during a primary contest, aiming to replace
to challenge a current officeholder during a primary contest, aiming to replace them as the party's nominee for the general election — used especially when a challenger from the same party tries to unseat a sitting politician.
The young activist decided to primary the long-serving senator from her own district.
primary + [sitting politician]
Several progressive groups have announced they will primary moderate incumbents in the upcoming election cycle.
primary + incumbents
It is still rare for a challenger to successfully primary a sitting member of Congress.
The party leadership tried to discourage anyone from attempting to primary the current governor.
Ilan raised enough money to primary the incumbent representative in the upcoming election.
文法句型
primary + someone
用法筆記
An informal, relatively new verb that has emerged in US political journalism and commentary since the 1990s. It is not used in formal political science writing. The object is always the incumbent being challenged. The verb carries a strong implication of ideological opposition within the same party.