Prime — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈprīm/

Meaning & Definition of Prime

Prime (adjective)

  1. first in rank, authority, or significance, principal
  2. having the highest quality or value
  3. of the highest grade regularly marketed —used of meat and especially beef

Prime (noun)

  1. the most active, thriving, or satisfying stage or period
  2. the chief or best individual or part, pick
  3. the earliest stage

Prime (verb)

  1. fill, load
  2. to prepare for firing by supplying with priming
  3. to insert a primer into (a cartridge case)

Prime (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. highest in rank or authority

    "the prime strategist in the senator's presidential campaign"

    similar: chief, commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, principal, supereminent, supreme, top, in charge
    related: high-level, senior, controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory, main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign, ascendant, dominant, grand, superior, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermost
    near: ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under

  2. of the very best kind

    "owns a thousand acres of prime farmland"

    similar: A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, bonny (chiefly British), boss (slang), brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, cool (slang), corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dope (slang), down (slang), dynamite, excellent, fab, fabulous, famous, fantabulous (slang), fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, first-string, five-star, four-star, frontline, gangbusters, gilt-edged, gone (slang), grand, great, groovy, heavenly, high-class, hot, hype (slang), immense, jim-dandy, keen, lovely, marvelous, mean, neat, nifty, noble, number one, numero uno, out-of-sight (slang), par excellence, peachy, peachy keen, phat (slang), primo (slang), prize, prizewinning, quality, radical (slang), righteous (slang), sensational, slick, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, supernal, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, top-of-the-line, top-shelf, topflight, topping (chiefly British), unsurpassed, wizard (chiefly British), wonderful, out of this world, too much
    related: acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable, satisfactory, tolerable, better, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, high-test, premium, select, special, superfine, classical, standard, traditional
    opposite: atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched
    near: bad, inferior, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate

Prime (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a state or time of great activity, thriving, or achievement

    "in the prime of her life"

    similar: bloom, blossom, florescence, floruit, flower, flush, heyday, high noon, salad days, springtime
    related: autumn, Indian summer, blooming, blossoming, efflorescence, flowering, acme, apex, climax, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, zenith, glory, grandeur, splendor, belle epoque, golden age, silver age, comeback, recovery, revival
    near: decay, decline, downfall, bottom, nadir, shriveling, wilting, withering

  2. individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class

    "chose the prime of the litter of pups"

    similar: A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, crème de la crème, elect, elite, fat, flower, illuminati, pick, pink, pride, priesthood, royalty, upper crust, cream of the crop, Hall of Fame
    related: establishment, gentry, nobility, quality, society, top, top drawer, upper class, caviar, who's who
    near: commoners, herd, hoi polloi, masses, millions, mob, multitude, rank and file, unwashed

Prime (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in prepare, fit

    similar: drill, fit, ground, habilitate, prepare, qualify, coach, mentor, direct, guide, lead, rear, educate, indoctrinate, instruct, lesson, school, teach, train, tutor, catechize, lecture, moralize, preach, implant, inculcate, instill, homeschool, edify, enlighten, brief, familiarize, impart (to), inform, verse, initiate, introduce, show

Related Entry: Primer (noun)

Primer is a different word from Prime. The synonyms below are for primer, not for prime.

  1. a book used for instruction in a subject

    "a primer of human anatomy"

    similar: handbook, manual, text, textbook
    related: schoolbook, grammar, reader, speller, tract, treatise, dictionary, lexicon, vocabulary, wordbook, casebook, encyclopedia, reference, bible, guide, guidebook

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Prime

The most common words with a similar meaning to Prime:

Slang: boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous, gone, hype, out-of-sight, phat, primo, radical, righteous
Chiefly British: bonny, topping, wizard
chief, commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, principal, supereminent, supreme, top, A-OK, A1, awesome, bang-up, banner, beautiful, blue-chip, blue-ribbon, boffo, brag, brave, bully, bumper, capital, choice, classic, corking, crackerjack, cracking, dandy, divine, dynamite, excellent, fab

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Prime

Words with the opposite meaning of Prime:

atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched

Related Words for Prime

high-level, senior, controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory, main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign, ascendant, dominant, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermost, acceptable, adequate, all right, decent, good, OK, passable

Near Antonyms of Prime

ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary, assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under, bad, low-grade, substandard, unsatisfactory, mediocre, middling, second-class, second-rate, decay, decline, downfall, bottom, nadir

Word Forms of Prime

Inflections: primed, priming

Derived words: primely (adverb), primeness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Prime

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) prior:2

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Prime

Words & Phrases Containing Prime

prime cost, prime meridian, prime minister, prime mover, prime number, prime rate, prime the pump

Frequently Asked Questions about Prime

What does "Prime" mean?

"Prime" means first in rank, authority, or significance, principal. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: first in rank, authority, or significance, principal. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Prime"?

Other words for "Prime" include chief, commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead and leading. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Prime" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Prime"?

There are 251 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Prime". Common alternatives include chief, commanding, first, foremost, head, high, lead, leading, preeminent and premier.

What is a slang word for "Prime"?

Slang words for "Prime" include boss, cool, dope, down, fantabulous and gone.

What is the opposite of "Prime"?

Antonyms of "Prime" include atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten and terrible. Near antonyms include ancillary, inferior, last and less.

How do you use "Prime" in a sentence?

Examples of "Prime" in a sentence: "the prime strategist in the senator's presidential campaign"; "owns a thousand acres of prime farmland"; "in the prime of her life".

Is "Prime" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Prime" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Prime" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Prime" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+. It is on the Academic Word List, so it appears often in IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, and university texts.