1.首要的;主要的
You useprimary to describe something that is very important.
e.g. That's theprimary 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。
e.g. I don't think young people'sprimary 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。
2.(教育)初级的,初等的,小学的
primary education is given to pupils between the ages of 5 and 11.
primary
e.g. Britain did not introduce compulsoryprimary education until 1880...
直到1880年,英国才开始实行初等义务教育。
e.g. Ninety-nine per cent ofprimary pupils now have hands-on experience of computers.
现在,99%的小学生都亲手操作过电脑。
in AM, use 美国英语用 elementary
3.首先的;最早的;最初的
primary is used to describe something that occurs first.
e.g. It is not theprimary 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。
e.g. They have been barred fromprimary bidding for clients.
他们被禁止对客户进行最初的投标。
4.(美国)初选,预选
Aprimary or aprimary election is an election in an American state in which people vote for someone to become a candidate for a political office.
e.g. ...the 1968 New Hampshireprimary...
1968年新罕布什尔州的初选
e.g. She won the Democraticprimary...
她在民主党的初选中获胜。