Word Origin Atlas

Exact historical dictionary sense

Primary in Webster's 1913 dictionary

The 1913 record labels primary as adjective. Its source-bounded etymology and selected historical definition appear below.

WEBSTER 1913adjective
Primary

[L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F. primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]

Cross-verified historical sense
The source text may be outdated. The page preserves that historical boundary.
Cross-verified 1913 record
Headwordprimary
Part of speechadjective
Historical etymology[L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F. primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]
Selected historical definitionFirst in order of time or development or in intention; primitive; fundamental; original.
Signed record IDwebster1913-primary-adjective-4560aa794c47
Source locatorCIDE.P, paragraph 14474; Gutenberg eBook 666
Edition-scoped answerNot earliest-attestation proofNot modern consensus
Independent historical textProject Gutenberg section 666Signed structural record sourceGNU GCIDE 0.54 archive
Quick answer

In Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), "primary" is labeled adjective. Its etymology is recorded as: "[L. primarius, fr. primus first: cf. F. primaire. See Prime, a., and cf. Premier, Primero.]" The selected historical definition says: "First in order of time or development or in intention; primitive; fundamental; original."

Project Gutenberg Webster 1913 plus signed GNU GCIDE 0.54 Exact cross-verified historical record reviewed 2026-10-04

What this answer proves

One named sense in one historical dictionary edition.

The answer reports the selected headword, part of speech, etymology, definition, and source locator as transcribed in the cross-verified 1913 record.

Evidence boundaryIt does not establish the earliest attestation or a complete borrowing chain.It does not claim current scholarly consensus or a modern dictionary definition.Historical dictionary text may be obsolete, incomplete, inaccurate, or offensive by modern standards.

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Webster 1913 exact record

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