closed primary
2
7.2
- noun
- /kloʊzd ˈpraɪˌmɛri/
- US
:
primarias cerradas
- Affiliation is for closed primaries.
- a closed primary where only registered members can vote
Examples
-
If the Democrats ran exclusively closed primaries, Hillary would be in a stronger position today, not a weaker one—as she would have been in a much better position going into Texas in the first place.
Blog text (16) -
Over a million people have already voted in the state's closed primary, and the state's booming Hispanic, retired, and conservative electorates will ultimately decide the direction of the race.
Blog text (20) -
The only reason I have for this long is that we had a closed primary, but that is no longer the case.
Blog text (16) -
The GOP held a historic closed primary.
Blog text (14) -
It was a closed primary there, whereas in South Carolina, where the numbers were up, it wasn't a closed primary.
Blog text (1) -
It was a closed primary there, whereas in South Carolina, where the numbers were up, it wasn't a closed primary.
Blog text (1) -
This would suggest that such "open primaries" are more advantageous for non-machine candidates than the traditional "closed primaries," traditionally limited to party militants.
Academic text (1993) -
So a closed primary reflects the inclinations of those remaining members who likely lean more moderate (at least in Florida and California), and they then elect a moderate nominee.
Blog text (1) -
"I have to point out, we're paying $100,000 for the Republican Party to sue the Republican Legislature, defended by the Republican secretary of state, in order to close primaries in Idaho—
Blog text (7) -
In a closed primary, only registered members of a political party can vote in the election.
Antonyms
- Literature
5
6.4
An early election before the main vote where any registered voter can vote for candidates of only one party
How Exclusive
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'closed' (not open/restricted) modifies 'primary' (an election to choose party nominees), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a primary limited to certain voters (e.g., party members). This modifier + noun pattern is frequent and cross-linguistically transparent, so the sense should be immediately understandable from the constituents.
Etymology
Closed primary is like a room with a shut door: closed shows the door is shut and primary is the first vote to pick a candidate. So only registered party 'members' may 'vote' in it, and the image of a locked room helps remember it means only party members can take part.