Primacy
noun
The state of being first in importance or rank.
The company has maintained its primacy in the market despite strong competition.
Often appears as...
- establish primacy
- lose primacy
Usage tips
Formal
noun
In Christianity, it refers to the superiority that a leader or institution has over others.
The Bishop of Rome holds a primacy over other religious leaders.
Often appears as...
- primacy of the pope
- primacy of peter
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
In psychology, it describes the phenomenon where information presented first has a larger influence on the perception or memory of an event or person.
The primacy effect in psychology shows that first impressions are often the most lasting.
Often appears as...
- primacy effect
- primacy model
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
The state of being first in importance or rank.
The company has maintained its primacy in the market despite strong competition.
Often appears as...
- establish primacy
- lose primacy
Usage tips
Formal
noun
In Christianity, it refers to the superiority that a leader or institution has over others.
The Bishop of Rome holds a primacy over other religious leaders.
Often appears as...
- primacy of the pope
- primacy of peter
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
noun
In psychology, it describes the phenomenon where information presented first has a larger influence on the perception or memory of an event or person.
The primacy effect in psychology shows that first impressions are often the most lasting.
Often appears as...
- primacy effect
- primacy model
Usage tips
Formal
Academic
Definition 1 of 3
Pro Tip 1/3Business Context
Use 'primacy' to discuss leadership or top status in professional or competitive settings.
The CEO emphasized the primacy of customer satisfaction in the service industry.
Pro Tip 2/3Nuance of Importance
'Primacy' implies that something isn't just first but also has a significant lead over others.
Her groundbreaking research secured the primacy of the institute in scientific studies.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Positive
Despite its association with rank, 'primacy' doesn't always suggest a desirable position.
The primacy of disease highlighted the need for better healthcare policies.
Pro Tip 1/3Business Context
Use 'primacy' to discuss leadership or top status in professional or competitive settings.
The CEO emphasized the primacy of customer satisfaction in the service industry.
Pro Tip 2/3Nuance of Importance
'Primacy' implies that something isn't just first but also has a significant lead over others.
Her groundbreaking research secured the primacy of the institute in scientific studies.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Positive
Despite its association with rank, 'primacy' doesn't always suggest a desirable position.
The primacy of disease highlighted the need for better healthcare policies.
Pro Tip 1/3Business Context
Use 'primacy' to discuss leadership or top status in professional or competitive settings.
The CEO emphasized the primacy of customer satisfaction in the service industry.
Pro Tip 2/3Nuance of Importance
'Primacy' implies that something isn't just first but also has a significant lead over others.
Her groundbreaking research secured the primacy of the institute in scientific studies.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Positive
Despite its association with rank, 'primacy' doesn't always suggest a desirable position.
The primacy of disease highlighted the need for better healthcare policies.
Compare with
ascendancydominanceimportantleadershippriorityprominencesovereigntysuperioritysupremacy
Never forget "Primacy"
Humans forget easily. That's why you should download WordUp: Smart reminders, word games, AI practice, and much more!
Video examples
Gary Lauder's new...
of alternating, or taking turns, and it's always on the minor road, allowing the major one to have primacy. So, it's hard to create a new meaning for the existing sign. You couldn't suddenly tell everyone, "OK, remember what you used to do at yield signs? Now do something different." That would not work. So, what the world needs now
Video examples
The big impact of small...
into politics as a as an economist and therefore I've tended to primacy on on economic arguments I mean the argument for independence is no instantly a fundamentally an economic one argue a friend demand mr. Scott miss a nation and nations are better when they govern themselves and the nobody's going to
Video examples
Rory Sutherland:...
is the consideration of these three things. I'm not asking for the complete primacy of one over the other. I'm merely saying that when you solve problems, you should look at all three of these equally, and you should seek as far as possible to find solutions which sit in the sweet spot in the middle.
Video examples
Will automation take...
Despite their strong backs and good characters, many of them would lack the basic literacy and numeracy skills to do all but the most mundane jobs. Many of them would be unemployable. What this example highlights is the primacy of our institutions, most especially our schools,
Video examples
Taiye Selasi: Don't ask...
There's much to be said for national history, more for the sovereign state. Culture exists in community, and community exists in context. Geography, tradition, collective these things are important. What I'm questioning is primacy.
Video examples
Adam Spencer: Why I fell...
are of that two to a prime number, take away one. I won't go into great detail as to why, because most of your eyes will bleed out of your head if I do, but suffice to say, a number of that form is fairly easy to test for primacy.
Video examples
Dave Eggers: 2008 TED...
but I'm not speaking it well right now. I'm trying. That clock has got me. But everyone that I knew had an interest in the primacy of the written word in terms of nurturing a democracy, nurturing an enlightened life.
Video examples
How to expose the...
climate change in all the areas in which we really need a capacity to reintroduce the primacy of politics into the economy which is operating in a in a worldwide arena and I think corruption and the
Video examples
Dignity isn't a...
who popularized the idea of shareholder primacy. Now, shareholder primacy is a pretty reasonable idea when you think about it. Shareholders own the company, shareholders want profits and growth,
Video examples
Peter Eigen: How to...
in all the areas in which we really need a capacity to reintroduce the primacy of politics into the economy, which is operating in a worldwide arena.
Video examples
Gary Lauder's new...
of alternating, or taking turns, and it's always on the minor road, allowing the major one to have primacy. So, it's hard to create a new meaning for the existing sign. You couldn't suddenly tell everyone, "OK, remember what you used to do at yield signs? Now do something different." That would not work. So, what the world needs now
Video examples
The big impact of small...
into politics as a as an economist and therefore I've tended to primacy on on economic arguments I mean the argument for independence is no instantly a fundamentally an economic one argue a friend demand mr. Scott miss a nation and nations are better when they govern themselves and the nobody's going to
Video examples
Rory Sutherland:...
is the consideration of these three things. I'm not asking for the complete primacy of one over the other. I'm merely saying that when you solve problems, you should look at all three of these equally, and you should seek as far as possible to find solutions which sit in the sweet spot in the middle.
Video examples
Will automation take...
Despite their strong backs and good characters, many of them would lack the basic literacy and numeracy skills to do all but the most mundane jobs. Many of them would be unemployable. What this example highlights is the primacy of our institutions, most especially our schools,
Video examples
Taiye Selasi: Don't ask...
There's much to be said for national history, more for the sovereign state. Culture exists in community, and community exists in context. Geography, tradition, collective these things are important. What I'm questioning is primacy.
Video examples
Adam Spencer: Why I fell...
are of that two to a prime number, take away one. I won't go into great detail as to why, because most of your eyes will bleed out of your head if I do, but suffice to say, a number of that form is fairly easy to test for primacy.
Video examples
Dave Eggers: 2008 TED...
but I'm not speaking it well right now. I'm trying. That clock has got me. But everyone that I knew had an interest in the primacy of the written word in terms of nurturing a democracy, nurturing an enlightened life.
Video examples
How to expose the...
climate change in all the areas in which we really need a capacity to reintroduce the primacy of politics into the economy which is operating in a in a worldwide arena and I think corruption and the
Video examples
Dignity isn't a...
who popularized the idea of shareholder primacy. Now, shareholder primacy is a pretty reasonable idea when you think about it. Shareholders own the company, shareholders want profits and growth,
Video examples
Peter Eigen: How to...
in all the areas in which we really need a capacity to reintroduce the primacy of politics into the economy, which is operating in a worldwide arena.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
Rumaan Alam
American Author
I think that in the cultural imagination, motherhood has a primacy that fatherhood just doesn't; and that's not to say that there aren't many fathers who are active and engaged and for whom that is their life's passion. But somehow, in the imagination, there's something different about maternity.
Quote examples
Jeremy Hardy
British Comedian
For me, ancestry is just one thing that connects us to people, and feeling connected to other people is generally a good thing, as long as one kind of connection does not have primacy over all the others. Heredity, race and nationhood are not the best criteria by which to judge our fellow humans.
Quote examples
David Novak
American Theologian
The relationship between God and his people was always the one having absolute primacy, the one that had basically to determine all human relationships, whether those within the covenanted community itself or those between the covenanted community and the outside world.
Quote examples
Nicholas Kristof
American Journalist
Conservatives highlight the primacy of family and argue that family breakdown exacerbates poverty, and they're right. Children raised by single parents are three times as likely to live in poverty as kids in two-parent homes.
Quote examples
Lee Kuan Yew
Statesman
The values that East Asian culture upholds, such as the primacy of group interests over individual interests, support the total group effort necessary to develop rapidly.
Quote examples
Johan Huizinga
Dutch Historian
The repudiation of the primacy of understanding means the repudiation of the norms of judgment as well, and hence the abandonment of all ethical standards.
Quote examples
Dennis Lehane
American Author
I believe so deeply in the primacy of language, in lifting your prose to the highest level you're capable of and making your words symphonic.
Quote examples
Fred Tomaselli
American Artist
I've come to believe in the primacy of form - the notion of art seducing you through your senses, through your eyeballs.
Quote examples
Sol LeWitt
American Artist
I was not interested in irony; I wanted to emphasize the primacy of the idea in making art.
Quote examples
Gina Miller
Guyanese Activist
British democratic values are embedded in the primacy of parliament.
Quote examples
Rumaan Alam
American Author
I think that in the cultural imagination, motherhood has a primacy that fatherhood just doesn't; and that's not to say that there aren't many fathers who are active and engaged and for whom that is their life's passion. But somehow, in the imagination, there's something different about maternity.
Quote examples
Jeremy Hardy
British Comedian
For me, ancestry is just one thing that connects us to people, and feeling connected to other people is generally a good thing, as long as one kind of connection does not have primacy over all the others. Heredity, race and nationhood are not the best criteria by which to judge our fellow humans.
Quote examples
David Novak
American Theologian
The relationship between God and his people was always the one having absolute primacy, the one that had basically to determine all human relationships, whether those within the covenanted community itself or those between the covenanted community and the outside world.
Quote examples
Nicholas Kristof
American Journalist
Conservatives highlight the primacy of family and argue that family breakdown exacerbates poverty, and they're right. Children raised by single parents are three times as likely to live in poverty as kids in two-parent homes.
Quote examples
Lee Kuan Yew
Statesman
The values that East Asian culture upholds, such as the primacy of group interests over individual interests, support the total group effort necessary to develop rapidly.
Quote examples
Johan Huizinga
Dutch Historian
The repudiation of the primacy of understanding means the repudiation of the norms of judgment as well, and hence the abandonment of all ethical standards.
Quote examples
Dennis Lehane
American Author
I believe so deeply in the primacy of language, in lifting your prose to the highest level you're capable of and making your words symphonic.
Quote examples
Fred Tomaselli
American Artist
I've come to believe in the primacy of form - the notion of art seducing you through your senses, through your eyeballs.
Quote examples
Sol LeWitt
American Artist
I was not interested in irony; I wanted to emphasize the primacy of the idea in making art.
Quote examples
Gina Miller
Guyanese Activist
British democratic values are embedded in the primacy of parliament.
Example 1 of 10
WordUp Chrome Extension
As you browse the web instantly look up words you don’t know.
Get Chrome Extension