What does prime mean?

prime means "first in rank or degree". That is the primary sense; the word has 12 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in prime?

prime has 1 syllable: prime. In IPA it is /ˈpɹaɪm/.

What is another word for prime?

Close synonyms include premier, choice, prize, quality, select. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

Is prime a common word?

prime is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

prime — meaning, pronunciation and 12 definitions

adjective

5 sensesA word that describes or qualifies a noun.

1.
first in rank or degree
“an architect of premier rank”
“the prime minister”
Synonymspremier
Similarfirst
2.
used of the first or originating agent
“prime mover”
Similarfirst
3.
of superior grade
“choice wines”
“prime beef”
“prize carnations”
“quality paper”
“select peaches”
Synonymschoice prize quality select
Similarsuperior
4.
of or relating to or being an integer that cannot be factored into other integers
“prime number”
mathematics
5.
being at the best stage of development
“our manhood's prime vigor”
Synonymsmeridian
Similarmature

noun

4 sensesA person, place, thing, quality or idea.

1.
a natural number that has exactly two distinct natural number divisors: 1 and itself
Synonymsprime quantity
Broadernumber
Narrowerprime number
2.
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
Synonymsflower peak heyday bloom blossom efflorescence flush
Broadertime period
Narrowergolden age
3.
the second canonical hour; about 6 a.m.
Broadercanonical hour
4.
the time of maturity when power and vigor are greatest
Synonymsprime of life
Broaderadulthood

verb

3 sensesAn action, occurrence or state of being.

1.
insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing
“prime a cannon”
“prime a mine”
Broaderfix
2.
cover with a primer; apply a primer to
Synonymsground undercoat
Broaderpaint
3.
fill with priming liquid
“prime a car engine”
Broaderfill

Other forms of prime

plural: primes·
past tense: primed·
present participle: priming·
comparative: primer·
superlative: primest·

Forms marked · are formed by the regular rule rather than recorded in the source data. English keeps a few hundred irregulars and the rest follow the pattern, so the rule is right far more often than not — but it is a rule, and the mark says so.

Questions about prime

What does prime mean?: prime means "first in rank or degree". That is the primary sense; the word has 12 in total, listed in full on this page.
How many syllables are in prime?: prime has 1 syllable: prime. In IPA it is /ˈpɹaɪm/.
What is another word for prime?: Close synonyms include premier, choice, prize, quality, select. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.
Is prime a common word?: prime is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

Definitions, synonyms and semantic relations for prime come from Princeton University’s WordNet. The pronunciation comes from the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. Commonness is measured against a corpus of everyday English. Full sources and licences.

adjective

5 sensesA word that describes or qualifies a noun.

1.
first in rank or degree
“an architect of premier rank”
“the prime minister”
Synonymspremier
Similarfirst
2.
used of the first or originating agent
“prime mover”
Similarfirst
3.
of superior grade
“choice wines”
“prime beef”
“prize carnations”
“quality paper”
“select peaches”
Synonymschoice prize quality select
Similarsuperior
4.
of or relating to or being an integer that cannot be factored into other integers
“prime number”
mathematics
5.
being at the best stage of development
“our manhood's prime vigor”
Synonymsmeridian
Similarmature

noun

4 sensesA person, place, thing, quality or idea.

1.
a natural number that has exactly two distinct natural number divisors: 1 and itself
Synonymsprime quantity
Broadernumber
Narrowerprime number
2.
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
Synonymsflower peak heyday bloom blossom efflorescence flush
Broadertime period
Narrowergolden age
3.
the second canonical hour; about 6 a.m.
Broadercanonical hour
4.
the time of maturity when power and vigor are greatest
Synonymsprime of life
Broaderadulthood

verb

3 sensesAn action, occurrence or state of being.

1.
insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing
“prime a cannon”
“prime a mine”
Broaderfix
2.
cover with a primer; apply a primer to
Synonymsground undercoat
Broaderpaint
3.
fill with priming liquid
“prime a car engine”
Broaderfill

Other forms of prime

plural: primes·
past tense: primed·
present participle: priming·
comparative: primer·
superlative: primest·

Questions about prime

What does prime mean?: prime means "first in rank or degree". That is the primary sense; the word has 12 in total, listed in full on this page.
How many syllables are in prime?: prime has 1 syllable: prime. In IPA it is /ˈpɹaɪm/.
What is another word for prime?: Close synonyms include premier, choice, prize, quality, select. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.
Is prime a common word?: prime is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

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prime

adjective

noun

verb

Other forms of prime

Questions about prime

Tools

Jump to

Images & video

PDF & writing

Calculate & convert

Health & fitness

AI, code & work

Learn & play

Tool directories

Search

Jump to

Explore AltFTool

Help

Theme

prime

adjective

noun

verb

Other forms of prime

Questions about prime