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primato

record; supremacy

noun pree-MAH-toh Less Common
People & Society Values

Origin: Medieval Latin primatus (first place), from primus (first)

Also means

primacy

Usage Note

Primato means 'record' in sports (battere un primato — 'to break a record') and 'supremacy / primacy' in political or institutional contexts (il primato della legge — 'the rule of law'). Do not confuse with primo (first/adj) or primatista (record holder). The plural is regular: primati.

Examples

"Ha stabilito un nuovo primato mondiale nei cento metri."

Natural Translation

He set a new world record in the hundred metres.

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