prime

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

• prīm
  Play
• /pɹaɪ̯m/
  Play
• Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  Play
• rhymes with -aɪm
  Play
• /pɹiːm/
  Play
• Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  Play
• rhymes with -iːm
  Play
• CMU ARPABET: P R AY1 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  Play

From Middle English prime, from Old French prime and its etymon, Latin prīmus (“first”), from earlier prīsmos < *prīsemos < Proto-Italic *priisemos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“beyond, before”). Doublet of primo and primus. The noun sense "apostrophe-like symbol" originates from the fact that the symbol ′ was originally a superscript Roman numeral one.

From French prime (“reward, prize, bonus”).

Related to primage and Latin prīmus.

332 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: пръв (prǎv) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Bulgarian: първоначален (pǎrvonačalen) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Chinese Mandarin: 首 (shǒu) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Chinese Mandarin: 第一 (dìyì) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Danish: første — first in time, order, or sequence
• Danish: tidligste — first in time, order, or sequence
• Dutch: eerste — first in time, order, or sequence
• Dutch: voornaamste — first in time, order, or sequence
• Estonian: esimene — first in time, order, or sequence
• Finnish: ensimmäinen — first in time, order, or sequence
• Finnish: ensi- — first in time, order, or sequence
• Finnish: alku- — first in time, order, or sequence
• Finnish: primaarinen — first in time, order, or sequence
• French: premier — first in time, order, or sequence
• German: erste — first in time, order, or sequence
• Greek: πρώτος (prótos) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Hindi: प्रथम (pratham) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Hungarian: első — first in time, order, or sequence
• Old Irish: prím — first in time, order, or sequence
• Old Irish: prím- — first in time, order, or sequence
• Italian: primo — first in time, order, or sequence
• Italian: iniziale — first in time, order, or sequence
• Japanese: 最初 (saisho) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Japanese: 第一 (daiichi) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Polish: pierwszy — first in time, order, or sequence
• Portuguese: primeira — first in time, order, or sequence
• Portuguese: primeiro — first in time, order, or sequence
• Russian: перви́чный (pervíčnyj) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Russian: пе́рвый (pérvyj) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Slovene: prvi — first in time, order, or sequence
• Spanish: primero — first in time, order, or sequence
• Swedish: först — first in time, order, or sequence
• Swedish: tidigast — first in time, order, or sequence
• Turkish: birincil — first in time, order, or sequence
• Ukrainian: пе́рший (péršyj) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Ukrainian: перви́нний (pervýnnyj) — first in time, order, or sequence
• Arabic: مُمْتَاز (mumtāz) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Arabic: فَاخِر (fāḵir) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Bulgarian: превъзходен (prevǎzhoden) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Chinese Mandarin: 一流 (yīliú) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Chinese Mandarin: 最好 (zuìhǎo) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Chinese Mandarin: 上等 (shàngděng) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Chinese Mandarin: 高級 /高级 (gāojí) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Chinese Mandarin: 優質 /优质 (yōuzhì, yōuzhí) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Danish: førsteklasses — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Dutch: uitstekend — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Dutch: prima — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Dutch: beste — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Esperanto: unuaranga — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Estonian: parim — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Finnish: ensiluokkainen — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Finnish: priima — first in excellence, quality, or value
• French: de premier ordre — first in excellence, quality, or value
• French: excellent — first in excellence, quality, or value
• French: supérieur — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Greek: εκλεκτός (eklektós) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hebrew: מצויין (metsuyán) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hindi: सर्वश्रेष्ठ (sarvaśreṣṭh) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hindi: श्रेष्ठ (śreṣṭh) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hungarian: kiváló — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hungarian: príma — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hungarian: kitűnő — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hungarian: remek — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hungarian: ragyogó — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Hungarian: nagyszerű — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Italian: ottimo — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Italian: di prima scelta — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Italian: di prima qualità — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Italian: di prima categoria — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Japanese: 最良 (sairyō) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Japanese: 最高 (saikō) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Japanese: 第一級 (daiikkyū) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Japanese: 最適 (saiteki) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Māori: tetere — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Māori: pūharu — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Māori: pūwharu — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Persian: بهترین — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Polish: pierwszy — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Portuguese: de primeira — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Russian: превосхо́дный (prevosxódnyj) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Russian: первокла́ссный (pervoklássnyj) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Slovene: prvovrsten — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Spanish: primo — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Spanish: primoroso — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Spanish: excelente — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Swedish: förstklassig — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Swedish: prima — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Ukrainian: першокла́сний (peršoklásnyj) — first in excellence, quality, or value
• Bulgarian: прост (prost) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Catalan: primer — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Chinese Mandarin: 素數 /素数 (sùshù) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Chinese Mandarin: 質數 /质数 (zhìshù) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Danish: primtal- — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Dutch: priem — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Esperanto: prima — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Estonian: algarv — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Finnish: jaoton — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• French: premier — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• German: prim- — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Greek: πρώτος (prótos) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Hebrew: ראשוני (rishoní) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Hindi: अभाज्य (abhājya) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Hungarian: prím — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Italian: primo — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Japanese: 素数 (sosū) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Japanese: 素 (so) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Latin: simplex — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Māori: toitū — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Polish: pierwsza — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Portuguese: primo — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Romanian: prim — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Russian: просто́й (prostój) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Slovene: praštevilo — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Spanish: primo — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Swedish: prim- — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Tagalog: lantay — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Tagalog: balho — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Turkish: asal — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Ukrainian: просте́ число́ (prosté čysló) — mathematics: having no factors except itself and unity
• Bulgarian: главен (glaven) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Bulgarian: основен (osnoven) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Catalan: principal — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Catalan: primordial — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Catalan: primari — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Catalan: primaria — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Chinese Mandarin: 首 (shǒu) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Chinese Mandarin: 首要 (shǒuyào) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Chinese Mandarin: 主要 (zhǔyào) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Danish: primær — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Danish: hoved- — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Danish: vigtigste — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Dutch: primair — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Dutch: eerste — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Dutch: voornaamste — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Esperanto: unuaranga — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Finnish: tärkein — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Finnish: pää- — first in importance, degree, or rank
• French: principal — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Greek: πρωταρχικός (protarchikós) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Hebrew: ראשי (rashí) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Hindi: प्रथम (pratham) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Hindi: प्राथमिक (prāthmik) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Hungarian: elsődleges — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Hungarian: fő — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Ido: precipua — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Ido: primordiala — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Old Irish: prím — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Old Irish: prím- — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Italian: principale — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Italian: primario — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Japanese: 最重要 (saijūyō) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Japanese: 第一級 (daiikkyū) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Polish: pierwszy — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Portuguese: primeira — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Portuguese: primeiro — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Portuguese: principal — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Russian: важне́йший (važnéjšij) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Russian: гла́вный (glávnyj) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Russian: основно́й (osnovnój) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Slovene: prvi — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Slovene: prvenstven — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Spanish: principal — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Spanish: primordial — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Spanish: primario — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Swedish: främst — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Swedish: förnämst — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Swedish: huvud- — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Swedish: viktigast — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Ukrainian: основни́й (osnovnýj) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Ukrainian: головни́й (holovnýj) — first in importance, degree, or rank
• Chinese Mandarin: 素 (sù) — mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication
• Finnish: alku- — mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication
• Hungarian: fő- — mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication
• Japanese: 素 (so) — mathematics: having its complement closed under multiplication
• Bulgarian: разсвет (razsvet) — first hour after dawn
• Catalan: prima — first hour after dawn
• Finnish: aamunkoitto — first hour after dawn
• Latin: prima — first hour after dawn
• Old English: prīmtīd — first hour after dawn
• Old English: prīm — first hour after dawn
• Bulgarian: утринна молитва (utrinna molitva) — Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight
• Catalan: prima — Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight
• Finnish: prima — Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight
• Latin: prima — Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight
• Old English: prīmsang — Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight
• Old English: prīm — Christianity: the liturgical service of the first hour of daylight
• Bulgarian: ранна утрин (ranna utrin) — early morning
• Finnish: aamunkoitto — early morning
• Bulgarian: начало (načalo) — earliest stage
• Chinese Mandarin: 初期 (chūqī) — earliest stage
• Danish: begyndelse — earliest stage
• Finnish: alku — earliest stage
• Finnish: synty — earliest stage
• Italian: inizi — earliest stage
• Italian: principio — earliest stage
• Japanese: 最初 (saisho) — earliest stage
• Japanese: 初期 (shoki) — earliest stage
• Japanese: 原始 (genshi) — earliest stage
• Old English: fruma — earliest stage
• Portuguese: princípio — earliest stage
• Russian: нача́ло (načálo) — earliest stage
• Spanish: primordio — earliest stage
• Swedish: början — earliest stage
• Bulgarian: разцвет (razcvet) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Chinese Mandarin: 壯年期 /壮年期 (zhuàngniánqī) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Chinese Mandarin: 黃金時期 /黄金时期 (huángjīn shíqī) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Chinese Mandarin: 鼎盛期 (dǐngshèngqī) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Chinese Mandarin: 旺季 (wàngjì) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Danish: blomstringstid — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Finnish: kukoistus — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• German: Blütezeit — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• German: Blüte — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• German: Glanzzeit — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• German: Höhe des Schaffens — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• German: Höhepunkt der Laufbahn — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• German: die besten Jahre — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Greek: ακμή (akmí) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Ancient Greek: ἀκμή (akmḗ) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Hungarian: fénykor — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Italian: all’apice — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Italian: nel fiore degli anni — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Japanese: 最盛期 (saiseiki) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Korean: 한창 (hanchang) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Latin: flōs — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Māori: poutūmārōtanga — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Māori: paerangi — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Portuguese: auge — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Portuguese: ápice — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Russian: расцве́т (rascvét) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Russian: зени́т (zenít) — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Slovene: vrhunec — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Spanish: mejor momento — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Spanish: cresta de la ola — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Spanish: culmen — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Spanish: fastigio — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Swedish: storhetstid — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Swedish: glansdagar — most active, thriving, or successful stage or period
• Chinese Mandarin: 精華 /精华 (jīnghuá) — chief or best individual or part
• Chinese Mandarin: 精髓 (jīngsuí) — chief or best individual or part
• Finnish: paras — chief or best individual or part
• Finnish: paras pala — chief or best individual or part
• Swedish: utvald — chief or best individual or part
• Bulgarian: тоника (tonika) — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Chinese Mandarin: 主音 (zhǔyīn) — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Czech: prima — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Dutch: priem — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Finnish: juurisävel — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Finnish: priimi — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• French: tonique — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Italian: tonale — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Japanese: 主音 (shuon) — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Slovene: prima — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Swedish: prim — music: first note or tone of a musical scale
• Finnish: priimi — fencing: first defensive position
• Japanese: 第一の構え (daiichi no kamae) — fencing: first defensive position
• Swedish: prim — fencing: first defensive position
• Bulgarian: просто число (prosto čislo) — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Catalan: primer — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Chinese Mandarin: 素数 (sùshù) — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Czech: prvočíslo — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Danish: primtal — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Dutch: priemgetal — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Finnish: alkuluku — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• French: nombre premier — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Hungarian: prímszám — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Hungarian: prím — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Italian: numero primo — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Japanese: 素 (so) — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Portuguese: número primo — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Portuguese: primo — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Russian: просто́е число́ (prostóje čisló) — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Swedish: primtal — algebra: prime element of a mathematical structure
• Czech: prima — backgammon: six consecutive blocks
• Finnish: kuuden blokki — backgammon: six consecutive blocks
• Catalan: primer — symbol ( ′ )
• Finnish: yläpuolinen indeksointipilkku — symbol ( ′ )
• Finnish: pilkku — symbol ( ′ )
• Hungarian: vessző — symbol ( ′ )
• Swedish: primtecken — symbol ( ′ )
• Turkish: üssü — symbol ( ′ )
• Finnish: massaluku — chemistry: number expressing the combining weight or equivalent of any particular element
• Finnish: sytytysruuti — priming in a flintlock
• Bulgarian: пускам (puskam) — to prepare a mechanism
• Chinese Mandarin: 起動 /起动 (qǐdòng) — to prepare a mechanism
• Chinese Mandarin: 啓動 /启动 (qǐdòng) — to prepare a mechanism
• Danish: klargøre — to prepare a mechanism
• Finnish: valmistella — to prepare a mechanism
• French: amorcer — to prepare a mechanism
• German: vorbereiten — to prepare a mechanism
• German: scharf machen — to prepare a mechanism
• German: ansaugen lassen — to prepare a mechanism
• German: betriebsfertig machen — to prepare a mechanism
• German: bereit machen — to prepare a mechanism
• Hungarian: előfeszít — to prepare a mechanism
• Hungarian: előhangol — to prepare a mechanism
• Hungarian: előkészít — to prepare a mechanism
• Italian: preparare — to prepare a mechanism
• Italian: innescare — to prepare a mechanism
• Italian: caricare — to prepare a mechanism
• Italian: adescare — to prepare a mechanism
• Japanese: 準備する (junbi suru) — to prepare a mechanism
• Japanese: 用意する (yōi suru) — to prepare a mechanism
• Russian: гото́вить к рабо́те (gotóvitʹ k rabóte) — to prepare a mechanism
• Slovene: aktivirati — to prepare a mechanism
• Spanish: cebar — to prepare a mechanism
• Spanish: imprimar — to prepare a mechanism
• Spanish: emprimar — to prepare a mechanism
• Spanish: aparejar — to prepare a mechanism
• Spanish: aprestar — to prepare a mechanism
• Swedish: aptera — to prepare a mechanism
• Swedish: förbereda — to prepare a mechanism
• Swedish: klarställa — to prepare a mechanism
• Bulgarian: грундирам (grundiram) — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Chinese Mandarin: 涂底漆 (tú dǐqī) — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Chinese Mandarin: 上底漆 (shàng dǐqī) — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Dutch: primen — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Finnish: pohjamaalata — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• French: apprêter — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Galician: imprimar — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• German: grundieren — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Hungarian: alapoz — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Hungarian: alapozó réteget felvisz — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Italian: dare una vernice di fondo su — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Japanese: 下塗りする (shitanuri suru) — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Russian: грунтова́ть (gruntovátʹ) — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Spanish: imprimar — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Spanish: emprimar — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Swedish: grunda — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Swedish: grundmåla — to apply a coat of primer paint to
• Finnish: sytyttää — to serve as priming for the charge of a gun
• French: amorcer — to serve as priming for the charge of a gun
• Spanish: cebar — to serve as priming for the charge of a gun