prime

1 of 3

noun

1
a
often capitalized : the second of the canonical hours
b
: the first hour of the day usually considered either as 6 a.m. or the hour of sunrise
2
a
: the earliest stage
b
: spring
c
: youth
3
: the most active, thriving, or satisfying stage or period
in the prime of his life
4
: the chief or best individual or part : pick
prime of the flock, and choicest of the stallAlexander Pope
5
6
a
: the first note or tone of a musical scale : tonic
b
: the interval between two notes on the same staff degree
7
: the symbol ′ used to distinguish arbitrary characters (such as a and a′), to indicate a specific unit (such as feet or minutes of time or angular measure), or to indicate the derivative of a function (such as p′ or f′(x)) compare double prime
8

prime

2 of 3

adjective

1
: first in time : original
2
a
: of, relating to, or being a prime number compare relatively prime
b
: having no polynomial factors other than itself and no monomial factors other than 1
a prime polynomial
c
: expressed as a product of prime factors (such as prime numbers and prime polynomials)
a prime factorization
3
a
: first in rank, authority, or significance : principal
a prime example
b
: having the highest quality or value
prime farmland
c
: of the highest grade regularly marketed
used of meat and especially beef
4
: not deriving from something else : primary
primely adverb
primeness noun

prime

3 of 3

verb

primed; priming

transitive verb

1
: fill, load
2
a
: to prepare for firing by supplying with priming
b
: to insert a primer into (a cartridge case)
3
: to apply the first color, coating, or preparation to
prime a wall
4
a
: to put into working order by filling or charging with something
prime a pump with water
b
: to supply with an essential prerequisite (such as a hormone, nucleic acid, or antigen) for chemical or biological activity
primed female mice with estrogen
5
: to instruct beforehand : coach
primed the witness
6

intransitive verb

: to become prime
Phrases
prime the pump
: to take steps to encourage the growth or functioning of something

Examples of prime in a Sentence

Noun young college graduates in the prime of life The interest rate is two percent plus prime. Adjective The wine industry is of prime importance to the California economy. The police have not yet named the prime suspect in the murder investigation. The house is expensive because it's in a prime location. Verb She was obviously primed for the questions at the press conference. Both teams are primed for battle and ready to play. We sanded and primed the woodwork before painting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The board's role is to help decide which buildings to keep and update — and which ones not to — to avoid wasting money on upkeep of spaces that are past their prime. Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 Female whales that go through menopause have longer lifespans than those that don’t, surviving decades past their reproductive prime, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 Steve Lawrence, the mellow baritone nightclub, television and recording star who with his wife and partner, the soprano Eydie Gorme, kept pop standards in vogue long past their prime and took America on musical walks down memory lane for a half-century, died on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 At 26, the winger is nearing the prime of his career and is hoping to add to the one international appearance to his name. Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 There is hope Yamamoto, 25, is entering the prime of his career, as well, making his move to MLB just in time to take another step forward in his career. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024 At 27 and still in the prime of his career, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is already on Canton’s doorstep. Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2024 There's plenty to do, with a lighthouse and nature center to visit and prime paddling on the Intracoastal side of the island. Tracey Minkin, Southern Living, 1 Mar. 2024 The forecast for Big Bear Lake called for a winter storm watch from Friday night through Sunday afternoon — prime pipping time. Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Giving to charity was the prime motivation for 13-year-old Josh Price, who traveled with his family from Wisconsin specifically for The Great Cut event. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Another prime, perhaps unexpected activity at Paws Up? Samantha Falewée, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2024 While California is a prime example of the uninsurable housing market, other regions are struggling too—particularly Florida, Texas, and the entire mid-Atlantic region (which includes Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia). Sydney Lake, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 But just a few miles from town and only 25 minutes from Salt Lake, White calls it a prime central location. Nina Kokotas Hahn, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Mar. 2024 Montauk was the prime filming location for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the film directed by Michel Gondry. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 8 Mar. 2024 The surreal video, which blew up on Friend’s TikTok and Instagram accounts, is a prime example of the comedian’s sharp miming abilities, which often impress and surprise his targets. Jake Kring-Schreifels, Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2024 Biden cited Trump's 2017 tax cuts as the prime example of a president who was skewed toward helping the rich. Deirdre Walsh, NPR, 8 Mar. 2024 Spain’s cultural and historical heritage and its diverse natural landscapes, from Moorish castles and royal palaces to snowy peaks, vast deserts and rugged coastlines, have made the country a prime location for international films and series. Ed Meza, Variety, 7 Mar. 2024
Verb
But in the meantime, she’s primed to meet readers and promote her novel on an extensive book tour, kicking off with Tuesday’s event at The Strand in New York City and ending in Brentwood, Calif., on April 2. Rachel Seo, Variety, 16 Mar. 2024 Snapped out of modern-day fight-or-flight mode, I was primed for smoother sleep despite the jet lag. Juliet Kinsman, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024 The person in charge primed the machine with a sanitation solution concentration of 50-100ppm. Michael Braga, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 And 2022 third-round pick Channing Tindall could be primed for a bigger role. Daniel Oyefusi, Miami Herald, 5 Mar. 2024 And the cascade of praise and recognition from other awards-giving bodies (notably SAG), in addition to the numerous moving speeches Gladstone has given already, has primed her to walk away with a statuette come Oscar night. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024 The first step is to prime the canvas, to put on the ground color. Coco Romack, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024 But on March 15 when the curtain lifts on the NFL’s new year, the Rams will be primed to spring into action. Jay Paris, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Voters seem primed to recognize that accomplishment. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prime.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, going back to Old English prīm, borrowed from Medieval Latin prīma (short for Latin prīma hōra "first hour"), from feminine of Latin prīmus "first, earliest"; in senses other than sense 1 borrowed in part from Latin prīmum "first part, beginning stages" (in plural prīma) or prīmus "notable person, leading citizen," noun derivatives of prīmus, adjective — more at prime entry 2

Adjective

Middle English, "first, original, in an initial stage," borrowed from Anglo-French, originally feminine of prim "first, earliest, original, main, most important," going back to Latin prīmus "first" (ordinal corresponding to ūnus "one, foremost, earliest, of first importance, of the highest quality,") going back to earlier *prīsmos, syncopated from *prīsomos, from dialectal Indo-European *pri "in front, before" + *-is-m̥mo-, superlative suffix (from *-is-, comparative suffix + *-m̥mo-, superlative suffix) — more at prior entry 2

Note: The combined comparative-superlative suffix *-is-m̥mo- as a productive superlative suffix is peculiar to Italic and Celtic. The assumption that *-is-m̥mo- yields *-isomo- in Latin (rather than *-em- or *-am-) is based on Michael Weiss, Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin (Beech Stave Press, 2011), p. 105. (Weiss suggests as a prime example homō "man, human," from *ǵhm̥mō.)

Verb

of uncertain origin

Note: Possibly a derivative of prime entry 2, if priming something was taken to mean performing an essential preliminary stage. However, if early uses meaning simply "to load, fill" (earliest in Scots, in Gavin Douglas's translation of the Aeneid, 1513) are the original senses, the painting and weapons senses may be by secondary association with prime entry 2 and its etymons. Supporting the hypothesis of an original meaning "load" would be the apparent derivative primage "money paid by a shipper to a captain for care of the cargo," attested as English in 1476, and as Latin primagium as early as 1297. Compare in the same sense prime-gilt (earliest in Scots, 1576), alongside Middle High German primegelt, primgelt (1468) and Middle Dutch priemgelt (1460), with gelt "money." However, none of these words lead any closer to the origin of the English verb.

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1513, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prime was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near prime

Cite this Entry

“Prime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prime. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prime

1 of 3 noun
1
: the first part : the earliest stage
2
: the most vigorous, prosperous, or satisfying stage or period
in the prime of one's life
3
: the best individual or part
4
5
: the symbol ′

prime

2 of 3 adjective
1
: first in time : original
2
a
: of, relating to, or being a prime number
b
: expressed as a product of prime factors
the prime factorization of 12 is 2 · 2 · 3
3
a
: first in rank or importance
our prime responsibility
b
: being highest in quality or value
prime farmland
c
: of the highest grade of meat
prime beef

prime

3 of 3 verb
primed; priming
1
: to get ready for firing by putting in priming
prime a rifle
2
: to put a first color or coating on (an unpainted surface)
3
: to put into working order by filling
prime a pump
4
: to make (someone) ready to do something
teams primed to win
Etymology

Noun

Old English prīm "a religious service for the first hour of the day," from Latin prima (hora) "first (hour)," from primus "first" — related to premier, prima donna, primeval, prince

Legal Definition

prime

1 of 2 noun

prime

2 of 2 transitive verb
primed; priming
: to have priority over
a perfected security interest primes an unperfected one

More from Merriam-Webster on prime

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