runoff primary

noun

: a second primary election held in some states to decide which of the two highest candidates for an office in the first primary will be awarded the party nomination

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of runoff primary was in 1907

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Runoff primary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/runoff%20primary. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation