primary care

noun

: health care provided by a medical professional (such as a general practitioner, pediatrician, or nurse) with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist
often used before another noun
a primary care physician

called also primary health care

compare secondary care, tertiary care

Examples of primary care in a Sentence

He provides primary care to inner-city patients.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the secretary intends to change the makeup of the task force beyond primary care doctors. Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 20 May 2026 However, Mailyan billed and received payments for thousands of injections that were either never provided, administered solely for cosmetic purposes, or given to patients whose primary care physicians had not referred them for chronic migraine treatment. Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026 The increasing numbers of PAs and the improving pay come amid a primary care shortage that is triggering states across the country to expand the scope of practice for healthcare professionals like PAs and nurse practitioners. Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 The top-tier annual membership runs $19,000 and includes advanced testing, concierge primary care, behavioral health recommendations, hormone therapy and peptide therapy. Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 18 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for primary care

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of primary care was in 1967

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Primary care.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primary%20care. Accessed 21 May. 2026.

Medical Definition

primary care

noun
: health care provided by a medical professional (as a general practitioner or a pediatrician) with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist for further treatment
often used attributively
primary care physicians
primary care practice
primary care medicine

called also primary health care

compare secondary care, tertiary care
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