primary

adj.

1. 主要的；最重要的；基本的
   main; most important; basic
   1. The primary aim of this course is to improve your spoken English.
      这门课的主要目的是提高英语会话能力。
   2. Our primary concern must be the children.
      我们首先要关心的必须是儿童。
   3. Good health care is of primary importance.
      良好的医疗保健是重中之重。
2. 最初的；最早的
   developing or happening first; earliest
   1. primary causes
      最初的原因
   2. The disease is still in its primary stage.
      这病尚处于初始阶段。
3. 初等教育的；小学教育的
   connected with the education of children between the ages of about five and eleven
   1. primary teachers
      小学教师

noun

1. （美国）初选
   (in the US) an election in which people in a particular area vote to choose a candidate for a future important election
   1. the Illinois primary
      伊利诺伊州的初选
   2. the presidential primaries
      总统候选人初选

1. ADJ 首要的；主要的
   You use primary to describe something that is very important.
   1. That's the primary reason the company's share price has held up so well...
      这是公司股票价格一直居高不下的主要原因。
   2. I don't think young people's primary aim in life is to get drunk...
      我觉得年轻人生活的主要目标并不是一醉方休。
   3. His misunderstanding of language was the primary cause of his other problems...
      他对语言的误解是引起其他问题的主要原因。
   4. The family continues to be the primary source of care and comfort for people as they grow older.
      随着年龄的增长，家庭仍然是人们获得关爱和安慰的主要源泉。
2. ADJ （教育）初级的，初等的，小学的
   Primary education is given to pupils between the ages of 5 and 11.
   1. Britain did not introduce compulsory primary education until 1880...
      直到1880年，英国才开始实行初等义务教育。
   2. Ninety-nine per cent of primary pupils now have hands-on experience of computers.
      现在，99%的小学生都亲手操作过电脑。
   3. ...primary teachers.
      小学教师

in AM, use 美国英语用 elementary


3. ADJ 首先的；最早的；最初的
   Primary is used to describe something that occurs first.
   1. It is not the primary tumour that kills, but secondary growths elsewhere in the body...
      原发性肿瘤并不会置人于死地，致命的是身体其他部位的继发肿瘤。
   2. They have been barred from primary bidding for clients.
      他们被禁止对客户进行最初的投标。
4. N-COUNT （美国）初选，预选
   A primary or a primary election is an election in an American state in which people vote for someone to become a candidate for a political office.
   1. ...the 1968 New Hampshire primary...
      1968年新罕布什尔州的初选
   2. She won the Democratic primary...
      她在民主党的初选中获胜。
   3. New York holds its primary election on Tuesday.
      纽约州将在星期二举行预选。

1. Can we just backtrack a little bit and look at your primary and secondary education?
   我们能不能回过头来谈谈你的小学和中学教育？
2. It is nearly always women who are the primary care givers.
   从事初级保健护理工作的几乎都是女性。
3. Tests were carried out by teachers on the entire cohort of eight to nine year-olds in their third year at primary school
   测试是由老师在小学三年级所有八岁到九岁的学生中进行的。
4. Tiffany conceptualized herself as a mother, whose primary task was to feed her baby.
   蒂法尼把自己定位为一位母亲，主要任务是哺育孩子。
5. Although his formal education stopped after primary school, he was an avid reader
   尽管小学毕业后就再没有受过正规的教育，他却十分爱读书。
6. Ninety-nine per cent of primary pupils now have hands-on experience of computers
   现在99%的小学生都亲手操作过电脑。
7. In Sierra Leone, English is used as the medium of instruction for all primary education
   在塞拉利昂，基础教育阶段全部用英语授课。
8. The government has now pledged £ 170m over the next six years for improving primary care.
   为了改善初级卫生保健工作，政府已承诺在未来6年内拨款1.7亿英镑。
9. They put a high premium on prevention and primary care.
   他们对预防和初级护理极为重视。
10. That's the primary reason the company's share price has held up so well
    这是公司股票价格一直居高不下的主要原因。
11. I don't think young people's primary aim in life is to get drunk
    我觉得年轻人生活的主要目标并不是一醉方休。
12. His misunderstanding of language was the primary cause of his other problems
    他对语言的误解是引起其他问题的主要原因。
13. The family continues to be the primary source of care and comfort for people as they grow older.
    随着年龄的增长，家庭仍然是人们获得关爱和安慰的主要源泉。
14. Britain did not introduce compulsory primary education until 1880
    直到1880年，英国才开始实行初等义务教育。
15. It is not the primary tumour that kills, but secondary growths elsewhere in the body
    原发性肿瘤并不会置人于死地，致命的是身体其他部位的继发肿瘤。
16. They have been barred from primary bidding for clients.
    他们被禁止对客户进行最初的投标。
17. She won the Democratic primary
    她在民主党的初选中获胜。
18. New York holds its primary election on Tuesday.
    纽约州将在星期二举行预选。
19. It comes in bright primary colours that kids will love.
    它用的都是孩子们喜欢的亮丽原色。
20. Greenside Primary School.
    格林赛德小学
21. It is clear that the primary duty of parents is to provide protection for our children
    很明显，父母的首要职责是为孩子们提供保护。
22. He won the election because the Democrats self-destructed in their primary.
    民主党在初选中自毁长城，所以才让他赢得了选举。
23. That is, after all, the primary reason we live — to be of service to others.
    别忘了，那是我们活着的主要原因——帮助他人。
24. She quotes secondary and primary sources without distinction.
    她对二手资料和一手资料的引用毫无区别。
25. The company has targeted adults as its primary customers.
    这家公司将成年人作为其主要顾客。
26. The voters are pretty sick of such a surfeit of primary sloganeering.
    选民们对于初选时没完没了地空喊口号的现象感到发腻了。
27. A distinction should be made between the primary and secondary tasks.
    要区别主要的和次要的任务。
28. First of all we should make primary education universal.
    首先我们应普及初等教育。
29. Matter is primary.
    物质是第一性的。
30. We consulted only primary sources in our research.
    在我们的研究中，只查询了第一手资料。

  elementary elemental fundamental primary【导航词义：初级的，基本的】

  elementary adj. 基本的，初级的

〔辨析〕强调基本的、简单的，或指事物处于初级阶段的，通常作定语。

  elemental adj. 〈正式〉基本的，基础的

〔辨析〕指作为事物的基础或本质的，通常作定语。

  fundamental adj. 基本的，根本的

〔辨析〕指反映事物本质的，强调重要性。

  primary adj. 主要的，首要的

〔辨析〕指在重要性方面占据首位的，通常作定语。

noun

1. a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen

   Synonym:    primary election

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

   Synonym:    primary featherprimary quill

3. coil forming the part of an electrical circuit such that changing current in it induces a current in a neighboring circuit
   1. current through the primary coil induces current in the secondary coil

   Synonym:    primary coilprimary winding

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

adj

1. not derived from or reducible to something else
   1. a primary instinct

2. of primary importance

   Synonym:    basal

3. of first rank or importance or value
   1. primary goals
   2. a primary effect
   3. primary sources
   4. a primary interest

4. of or being the essential or basic part
   1. an elementary need for love and nurturing

   Synonym:    elementaryelemental