Meaning of prime In English

• 0 main or most important:

  • This is a prime example of 1930s architecture.

  • the prime suspect in a murder investigation

  • a prime source of evidence

  • The president is a prime (= likely) target for the assassin's bullet.

  • prime beef

  • The hotel is in a prime location in the city centre.

• 1 the period in your life when you are most active or successful:

  • This is a dancer in her prime.

  • Middle age can be the prime of life if you have the right attitude.

  • I suspect this cheese is past its prime.

• 2 the symbol ( ' ) used, for example, to represent feet in measurements:

  • Prime is used to designate units in mathematics.

• 3 to tell someone something that will prepare them for a particular situation:

  • I'd been primed so I knew not to mention her son.

• 4 most important, or of the best quality:

  • You’re a prime candidate to be spending money on foolish things.

  • This is a prime example of native Utah architecture.

  • The hospital is located on prime Upper East Side property.

• 5 to prepare someone or something for the next stage in a process:

  • Their teachers are getting those kids primed for the tests.

• 6 main or most important:

  • This is a prime example of good salesmanship.

  • Reckless lending was the prime cause of the crisis.

  • With a market value now of only £2.1bn, it remains a prime takeover target.

• 7 of the best quality:

  • The hotel is in a prime location in the city centre.

  • The land is considered prime real estate that could eventually be used for homes.

• 8 a rating (= measurement of how good something is) given to a loan to show how much of a risk there is that the loan will not be paid back. A Prime-1 rating means that the risk is very low. A Prime-2 or Prime-3 rating means that the risk is higher:

  • Issuers rated Prime-1 have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations.

• 9 the period in your life or your job when you are most active or successful:

  • in his/her/their prime He retired while he was still in his prime.

  • past my/your prime I plan to work way past my prime.

• 10 the lowest rate of interest that banks charge their best customers for loans over a short period and that is used for calculating the interest rates on other types of loan:

  • above/below prime The loan was issued at a variable interest rate of 1.5% above prime.

• 11 to prepare someone or something for a particular situation:

  • I was well primed for the meeting and gave a very successful presentation.

  • The company is primed to move ahead with its public offering.

• 12 to provide money, encouragement, ideas, etc. to help something get started:

  • Venture capital needs to be raised to prime the pump of startups, which are long on ideas but short on cash.