primary
(=first in importance)
[purpose, concern, responsibility,] principal (e)
→ I don't think young people's primary aim in life is to get drunk.
[source, cause, reason] principal (e) often before n
→ The primary source of water in the region is the river.
→ That's the primary reason the company's share price has held up so well.
→ His misunderstanding of language was the primary cause of his other problems.
→ The family continues to be the primary source of care for older people.
(=early)
[stage, tumour] primaire
→ The source of the primary tumour remained unclear.
[version] premier (-ière) after n
[teacher, pupil] du primaire
→ Ninety-nine per cent of primary pupils now have hands-on experience of computers.
→ primary teachers
(US)
(=election) primaire f
→ the 1968 New Hampshire primary
→ She won the Democratic primary.
(=tumour) tumeur f primaire
open primary
n (US) élection primaire ouverte aux non-inscrits d'un parti élection primaire ouverte aux non-inscrits d'un parti
primary care , primary health care
n soins mpl primaires, soins mpl de santé primaires
→ ... the crucial roles of primary care and of preventive work.
primary colour
n couleur f primaire
primary education
n enseignement m primaire
→ Britain did not introduce compulsory primary education until 1880.
primary election
n élection f primaire
→ New York holds its primary election on Tuesday.
primary school
n (British) école f primaire
→ Greenside Primary School
She's still at primary school. Elle est encore à l'école primaire.
→ eight- to nine-year-olds in their third year at primary school
primary teacher , primary schoolteacher
n professeur (e) m/f des écoles, professeur mf des écoles
She's a primary schoolteacher. C'est une professeure des écoles or une professeur des écoles.