primazia

Primazia is a noun used in several Romance-language contexts to denote primacy, preeminence, or priority of one entity over others. It expresses the state or quality of being first in rank, importance, or precedence. The term derives from Latin primus (first) and has spread through languages such as Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, and others, where it carries a similar core meaning.

In theological contexts, primazia often refers to the doctrine of papal primacy, the belief that the Pope holds supreme authority within the Christian Church. In political and legal discourse, the term can describe the primacy or supremacy of a central authority, a constitution, or a legal system over subordinate jurisdictions or norms. It may also describe the precedence given to international norms within a national legal order or the priority of a nation’s core laws or institutions in policymaking.

In organizational theory and management, primazia can denote the prioritization of core objectives or the leadership’s central role in guiding strategy and decisions. The concept is frequently debated, especially in discussions about balance between central authority and local autonomy, sovereignty, subsidiarity, or constitutional checks and balances.

See also: primacy, precedence, supremacy, sovereignty, constitutional law, papal primacy.