What is a Prime Attribute in DBMS? Explanation with Examples

In the world of relational databases, understanding how data is structured and accessed is critical for effective database design. One important concept that often appears in database theory, especially during normalization, is the Prime Attribute in DBMS . This blog explains what a prime attribute is, why it matters, and how it fits into key concepts such as functional dependencies and normal forms. What is a Prime Attribute? A prime attribute is an attribute (or column) that is part of any candidate key of a relation (table) in a database. In simpler terms, if an attribute helps uniquely identify a row in a table — either on its own or in combination with others — it is considered a prime attribute. Related Concepts Before diving deeper, it's helpful to understand some related terms: Candidate Key : A minimal set of attributes that can uniquely identify each tuple (row) in a relation. Primary Key : A candidate key selected by the database designer to uniquely iden...