primacy
noun
pri·ma·cy
ˈprī-mə-sē 
1
: the state of being first (as in importance, order, or rank) : preeminence
the primacy of intellectual and esthetic over materialistic values—
T. R. McConnell
T. R. McConnell2
: the office, rank, or preeminence of an ecclesiastical primate
Synonyms
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
And their force of gravity brought practically the entire hip-hop world into their orbit, with Kanye West, Rick Ross, Future and many others either becoming collateral or trying to get in on the action to assert their own primacy.
—TIME, 7 May 2024
The cause of election reform is a worthy and urgent one, and Congress can have some role under Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, although the states do and should retain primacy in this area.
—The Editors, National Review, 6 May 2024
Debussy’s contribution to the war effort, for example, was to assert his belief in the primacy of French music.
—Hugh Morris, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
The ambiguous hero of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People is a man of science who insists on the primacy of truth and evidence.
—The New York Review of Books, 30 Apr. 2024
From 1991 until recently, Washington had shepherded a peace process in part because U.S. leaders believed that delivering a just solution for Palestinians was essential to legitimize U.S. primacy.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2024
And Boeing’s primacy in the industry was built on revolutionary leaps, such as the 707 and 747.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
This will mean that, as in the case of ESG, the demands of climate activism will trump the shareholder primacy that has served the U.S. so well.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024
Star wars Space technology is also key to military primacy.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
TIME, 7 May 2024
The cause of election reform is a worthy and urgent one, and Congress can have some role under Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution, although the states do and should retain primacy in this area.
—The Editors, National Review, 6 May 2024
Debussy’s contribution to the war effort, for example, was to assert his belief in the primacy of French music.
—Hugh Morris, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024
The ambiguous hero of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People is a man of science who insists on the primacy of truth and evidence.
—The New York Review of Books, 30 Apr. 2024
From 1991 until recently, Washington had shepherded a peace process in part because U.S. leaders believed that delivering a just solution for Palestinians was essential to legitimize U.S. primacy.
—Marc Lynch, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2024
And Boeing’s primacy in the industry was built on revolutionary leaps, such as the 707 and 747.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 10 Apr. 2024
This will mean that, as in the case of ESG, the demands of climate activism will trump the shareholder primacy that has served the U.S. so well.
—The Editors, National Review, 11 Mar. 2024
Star wars Space technology is also key to military primacy.
—Jean-François Morizur, Fortune Europe, 8 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primacy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near primacy
Cite this Entry
“Primacy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primacy. Accessed 14 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
primacy
noun
pri·ma·cy
ˈprī-mə-sē
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
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