adjective
1.
Synonyms: first 2, earliest, initial, maiden, original, pioneer, prime
2.
Synonyms: primitive 4, primeval, primevous, primitial
3.
Synonyms: fundamental 1, basal, basic, bottom, foundational, meat-and-potatoes, radical, underlying
4.
Synonyms: direct 4, firsthand, immediate
5.
not based on or derived from something else
the primary studies in nuclear physics
Synonyms: original, prime, primitive, underivative, underived
Related Word: first, firsthand; basic, foundational, fundamental, principal, underlying
Contrasted words: derivate, derivational, derivative, derived; borrowed, secondhand
Antonyms: secondary