primacy

P3R1I1M3A1C3Y4
UK/ˈpɹaɪ.mə.si/UK/ˈpɹɪ.mə.si/

noun

The state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, preference etc.

“assert primacy”

Similar
preeminence
OriginOld French primacie ← Medieval Latin primatia ← Latin primas →
Less commonScrabble 16
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Word of the Day · Dec 28, 2021

Meanings

nounprimacy (usually uncountable, plural primacies)

plural primacies

  1. uncountableusuallyThe state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, preference etc.

    assert primacy

    5 more examples

    establish the primacy of something

    acknowledge the primacy of something

    The court affirmed the primacy of federal law.

    He argued for the primacy of reason over emotion.

    I am reading Nick Sousanis’ PhD dissertation-as-a-comic Unflattening. It debunks the primacy of word over image in Western culture and suggests that the two are equal partners in meaning-making.

    December 25 2016, Amruta Patil, “The book in my hand”, in The Hindu

    Synonyms: preeminence

  2. archaicuncountableusuallyExcellence; supremacy.
  3. uncountableusuallyChristianityThe office, rank, or character of a primate (chief ecclesiastical dignity in a church).

    Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor in Eastern Orthodoxy, emphasized the many areas of agreement between Pope Francis and himself in response to the social concerns of the day.

    December 2 2016, Ecumenical Patriarch points to areas of agreement with Pope, Catholic World News
  4. uncountableusuallyAnglicanismThe office or dignity of an archbishop.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, preference etc.

Similar
preeminence
Also see
preeminenceprimateshipprincipate

Origin

  1. Latinprimas
  2. Medieval Latinprimatia“office of a church primate”
  3. Old Frenchprimacie
  4. Englishprimacy

From Old French primacie, from Medieval Latin primatia (“office of a church primate”), from Latin primas plus a suffix corresponding to -acy. By surface analysis, prime + -acy.

More words from Old French, Medieval Latin, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian първенство, архиепископски сан
  • първенство (părvenstvo)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • архиепископски сан (arhiepiskopski san)the office, rank, or character of a primate
Catalan primacia
  • primaciathe state or condition of being prime or first
Dutch voorang, primaatschap
  • voorangthe state or condition of being prime or first
  • primaatschapthe office, rank, or character of a primate
Finnish ensisijaisuus, etusija
  • ensisijaisuusthe state or condition of being prime or first
  • etusijathe state or condition of being prime or first
French primauté
  • primautéthe state or condition of being prime or first
German Primat, Vorrang
  • Primatthe state or condition of being prime or first
  • Vorrangthe state or condition of being prime or first
  • Primasthe office, rank, or character of a primate
Hebrew רִאשׁוֹנִיוּת, עֶליוֹנוּת
  • רִאשׁוֹנִיוּת (rishoniyút)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • עֶליוֹנוּת (elyonút)the state or condition of being prime or first
Hindi प्राथमिकता, वरीयता
  • प्राथमिकता (prāthmiktā)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • वरीयता (varīytā)the state or condition of being prime or first
Irish príomhacht, príomhaíocht
  • príomhachtthe state or condition of being prime or first
  • príomhaíochtthe office, rank, or character of a primate
Italian primato, priorità
  • primatothe state or condition of being prime or first
  • prioritàthe state or condition of being prime or first
  • supremaziathe state or condition of being prime or first
Korean 주요
  • 주요 (juyo)the state or condition of being prime or first
Māori tuatahitanga
  • tuatahitangathe state or condition of being prime or first
Portuguese primado, primazia
  • primadothe state or condition of being prime or first
  • primaziathe state or condition of being prime or first
  • primadothe office, rank, or character of a primate
Romanian primație
  • primațiethe state or condition of being prime or first
Russian перви́чность, пе́рвенство
  • перви́чность (pervíčnostʹ)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • пе́рвенство (pérvenstvo)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • перворо́дство (pervoródstvo)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • перворо́дность (pervoródnostʹ)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • прима́тство (primátstvo)the state or condition of being prime or first
  • первосвяти́тельство (pervosvjatítelʹstvo)the office, rank, or character of a primate
Slovak prvenstvo
  • prvenstvothe state or condition of being prime or first
Spanish primacía
  • primacíathe state or condition of being prime or first
Cite this entry
APA

primacy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primacy

MLA

“primacy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primacy. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “primacy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/primacy.

Source: primacy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.