primacy

noun

pri·​ma·​cy ˈprī-mə-sē How to pronounce primacy (audio)
1
: the state of being first (as in importance, order, or rank) : preeminence
the primacy of intellectual and esthetic over materialistic valuesT. R. McConnell
2
: the office, rank, or preeminence of an ecclesiastical primate

Examples of primacy in a Sentence

Civil law took primacy over religious law. She has established primacy in her field of study.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nevertheless, outsiders marveled at the pronounced American sense of moral and cultural primacy, which seemed to be guaranteed by hard power and enforced synergistically by the State Department, PEN America, the New York Times, Human Rights Watch, and Ivy League universities. Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025 The administration’s approach to NASA involves a weirdly jingoistic notion of the primacy of American science, akin to the administration’s description of its chaotic tariff policies. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025 And anyone who watched the first Test will surely agree that the primacy of Test and international cricket should still be paramount. Paul Newman, New York Times, 30 June 2025 In their current form, those partnerships reflect the asymmetries of a different era, when American military primacy appeared uncontested and immutable. Ely Ratner, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for primacy

Word History

Etymology

Middle English primacie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin prīmātia "office of a primate," from prīmāt-, prīmās "leading bishop in an ecclesiastical province, primate" + Latin -ia -y entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of primacy was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Primacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primacy. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

primacy

noun
pri·​ma·​cy ˈprī-mə-sē How to pronounce primacy (audio)
plural primacies
1
: the state of being first (as in time, place, or rank)
2
: the office or dignity of a bishop of the highest rank
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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