Phrase guide

primary election

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A preliminary election to select a political candidate of a political party.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The first round of a two-round election.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, politics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: primary

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

a preliminary election where delegates or nominees are chosen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: primary

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: election

Narrower terms: direct primary

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: փրայմերիզ (pʻraymeriz) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Chinese Mandarin: 初選 /初选 (chūxuǎn) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Danish: opstillingsmøde — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Danish: primærvalg — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Dutch: voorverkiezing — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Finnish: esivaali — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Georgian: პრაიმერი (ṗraimeri) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Georgian: წინასწარი არჩევნები (c̣inasc̣ari arčevnebi) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Georgian: წინასწარი კენჭისყრა (c̣inasc̣ari ḳenč̣isq̇ra) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Georgian: შიდაპარტიული არჩევნები (šidaṗarṭiuli arčevnebi) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • German: Vorwahl — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Hungarian: előválasztás — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Icelandic: prófkjör — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Persian: نخستین — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Polish: prawybory — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Russian: пра́ймериз (prájmɛriz) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Russian: предварительные выборы (predvaritelʹnyje vybory) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Russian: внутрипартийные выборы (vnutripartijnyje vybory) — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Spanish: primarias — preliminary election to select a candidate
  • Spanish: elecciones primarias — preliminary election to select a candidate