|prōˌkad.|ärktik, -ōkə|tä- adjective
Etymology: Greek prokatarktikos, from (assumed) prokatarktos (verbal of prokatarchein to begin first, from pro- pro- (I) + katarchein to make a beginning, from kat- cata- + archein to begin) + -ikos -ic — more at archi-
1. archaic : that is the immediately antecedent cause of some indicated effect
2. archaic : that is the primary cause of some indicated effect