primary notion of a

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "primary notion of a" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the main idea or concept related to a specific subject or topic. Example: "The primary notion of a successful business model is to create value for customers while ensuring profitability."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

It is added that the primary notion of a truth-maker is that of a minimal one: a truth-maker for a truth-bearer p none of whose proper parts or constituents are truth-makers for p. (Whether every proposition has a minimal truth-maker is contentious).

SEP

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The finding regarding the positive influence of foreign market knowledge on apparel retailers' international market involvement confirms the primary notion of the Uppsala model, which emphasizes knowledge for a firm's internationalization (e.g., Hashai and Almor 2004).

Fashion and Textiles

Additionally, [A4] has, on some views of dispositions, the implication that a person's believing p cannot be explained by their having an intuition that p However, many claim that the primary notion of intuition is one on which S has an intuition that p only when S is occurrently in the relevant conscious psychological state.

SEP

The primary notion of that glazed-eyed, dewy me of yesteryear: "Wait!

Huffington Post

As hopefully will become clear in this study, the primary notions of matter and of substance in Ibn Gabirol are deeply (and obviously) non-Aristotelian [see sections 5.1, 5.2 and 5.3], revealing instead deeply Platonic and Neoplatonic sensibilities, and even more uniquely deeply "Empedoclean" influence.

SEP

And when a black lawyer and legislator named Barbara Blackmon won the Democratic lieutenant governor's primary, Barbour introduced the novel notion of a "Musgrove-Blackmon ticket" into his speeches.

The New York Times - Magazine

The lack of an association between continued cannabis use and psychotic features could strengthen the notion of a primary association to mood symptoms since this indicates that the higher YMRS scores are not mainly based on psychosis-related items [ 29], a view supported by the findings of an association between poorer global functioning and elevated mood also at baseline.

BMC Psychiatry

The White House seems to view the notion of a serious primary challenge as far-fetched, and you can see why.

The New York Times

Some of these ideas belong especially to philosophy, such as the view that only the primary qualities are real and the Kantian notion of a thing-in-itself; others, for instance the notions of cause, motion, self, space, thing and time, are deployed in everyday life.

SEP

What Whitehead calls the fallacy of misplaced concreteness occurs when abstract logical constructions — such as the notion of a thing's primary qualities or of its simple location in space-time — are (mis taken for the concreteness of processual, actual entities.

SEP

The notion of a contested presidential primary in California added a bit of pizazz to the convention events, which also included a Saturday night speech by Carly Fiorina, newly named by Cruz as his running mate.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "primary notion of a", ensure that the concept you are referring to is indeed the most fundamental or essential one. Avoid using it for secondary or less important ideas.

Common error

Avoid using "primary notion of a" when discussing nuanced or multi-layered ideas. The phrase suggests a basic understanding, which might oversimplify complex topics. Consider alternatives that reflect complexity if nuance is needed.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "primary notion of a" functions as a noun phrase that introduces and identifies a fundamental or essential concept. Ludwig indicates that it correctly frames a core idea, particularly in academic or formal contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "primary notion of a" serves as a gateway to understanding fundamental concepts across various fields. As Ludwig confirms, it's grammatically correct and signals an intent to establish a core idea before exploring further complexities. Predominantly found in scientific and academic contexts, and to a lesser extent in news and media, this phrase is suitable for formal discussions where clarity and foundational understanding are paramount. To avoid overuse, it's advisable to replace the phrase with "fundamental concept of a" or "core idea of a" in more general settings, although Ludwig stresses that the main goal is to frame a key idea.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fundamental concept of a

Replaces "primary" with "fundamental", emphasizing the foundational aspect.

core idea of a

Substitutes "notion" with "idea" and "primary" with "core", offering a slightly simpler phrasing.

basic concept of a

Similar to "fundamental concept", but uses "basic" to denote simplicity.

central theme of a

Changes "notion" to "theme", suggesting a recurring element.

key principle of a

Replaces "notion" with "principle", indicating a guiding rule.

main tenet of a

Uses "tenet" instead of "notion", implying a belief or doctrine.

underlying assumption of a

Shifts the focus to an implicit belief serving as a foundation.

foundational premise of a

Emphasizes the role of the notion as a starting point for reasoning.

essential element of a

Highlights the indispensability of the notion.

principal component of a

Replaces "notion" with "component", suggesting that is a part of the whole.

FAQs

How can I use "primary notion of a" in a sentence?

You can use "primary notion of a" to introduce a fundamental concept. For example: "The "primary notion of a" democracy is that power resides in the people."

What is an alternative to "primary notion of a"?

Alternatives include "fundamental concept of a", "core idea of a", or "basic concept of a", depending on the specific context.

When is it appropriate to use "primary notion of a" versus "secondary notion of a"?

"Primary notion of a" should be used for the most basic and essential idea, while "secondary notion of a" would refer to a less important or derivative concept.

Is there a difference between "primary notion of a" and "a basic understanding of"?

"Primary notion of a" refers to the core concept itself, whereas "a basic understanding of" refers to someone's grasp of that concept. The former is the concept, the latter is the comprehension.