primary source

noun

plural primary sources
information science
: an account or record (such as a first-hand account, a contemporaneous news report, a photograph, or an audio or video recording) reflecting direct experience of a thing (such as a historical event) that is being researched or studied
Primary sources are the raw materials of history—original documents and objects that were created at the time under study. They are different from secondary sources, accounts that retell, analyze, or interpret events, usually at a distance of time or place.Library of Congress
Primary sources include birth certificates, photographs, diaries, letters, embroidered samplers, clothing, household implements, and newspapers.Smithsonian Institution

Word History

First Known Use

1862, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of primary source was in 1862

Dictionary Entries Near primary source

Cite this Entry

“Primary source.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primary%20source. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!