Primacy

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• Primacy — is the state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, etc., hence, excellency; supremacy. It may otherwise refer to a property of the office, rank, or character of a primate; the chief ecclesiastical station or dignity in a… …   Wikipedia

• Primacy — Pri ma*cy, n. [LL. primatia, fr. L. primas, atis, one of the first or principal, chief, fr. primus first: cf. F. primatie. See {Prime}, a.] 1. The state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, etc., hence, excellency;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• primacy — I noun ascendancy, authority, command, consequence, control, domination, dominion, eminence, excellency, first place, greatness, headship, hegemony, height, high position, hold, importance, influence, jurisdiction, lead, leadership, paramountcy,… …   Law dictionary

• primacy — late 14c., from O.Fr. primacie, from M.L. primatia office of a church primate (late 12c.), from L.L. primas (gen. primatis) principal, chief, of the first rank (see PRIMATE (Cf. primate)) …   Etymology dictionary

• primacy — ► NOUN ▪ the fact of being primary or pre eminent. ORIGIN Latin primatia, from primas of the first rank …   English terms dictionary

• primacy — [prī′mə sē] n. pl. primacies [ME primacie < MFr < ML primatia < LL primas: see PRIMATE] 1. the state of being first in time, order, rank, etc. 2. the rank, office, or authority of a primate …   English World dictionary

• primacy — pri|ma|cy [ˈpraıməsi] n [singular,U] formal if someone or something has primacy, they are the best or most important person or thing primacy of ▪ the primacy of the family ▪ We must give primacy to education …   Dictionary of contemporary English

• primacy — [[t]pra͟ɪməsi[/t]] N UNCOUNT: oft the N of n The primacy of something is the fact that it is the most important or most powerful thing in a particular situation. [FORMAL] The political idea at the heart of this is the primacy of the individual …   English dictionary

• primacy — noun Date: 14th century 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 > 2. the office, rank, or preeminence of an ecclesiastical… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

• primacy — noun a) The state or condition of being prime or first, as in time, place, rank, etc., hence, excellency; supremacy. b) The office, rank, or character of a primate; the chief ecclesiastical station or dignity in a national church; the office or… …   Wiktionary