direct primary

6.2

A primary election where voters choose candidates instead of party officials

noun
/dəˈrɛkt ˈpraɪˌmɛri/

: primarias directas

Many voters prefer to participate in a direct primary, as it gives them a say in who will run for office.

Examples

The direct primary unquestionably has altered the distribution of power within the party.

Academic text (2003)
Instead, direct primaries and caucuses have replaced national party conventions as the means of nominating presidential candidates, binding them and other party leaders to a range of uncoordinated and often incommensurable goals rather than a coherent legislative program.

Academic text (2013)
In a direct primary, voters have the power to choose the candidates for the upcoming elections directly.
The introduction of the direct primary has significantly increased voter engagement in the electoral process.

Surface Forms

direct primary singular

direct primaries plural

Morphology

direct + primary

This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'direct' (no intermediary) modifies 'primary' (an election to select nominees), so the meaning 'a primary in which voters choose directly' is directly derivable from the parts. The construction is compositional and mirrors equivalent forms in other languages (e.g. 'primaria directa'), so a B1 learner who knows both words should understand it.

Etymology

Direct primary comes from political changes that let ordinary voters, not party leaders, choose who will run for office. The word direct gives a clear image of a straight line from voter to candidate, so the phrase means 'a primary where voters themselves choose who will run'.