ancillary

American  

[an-suh-ler-ee, an-sil-uh-ree] / ˈæn səˌlɛr i, ænˈsɪl ə ri /

adjective

1. subordinate; secondary; subsidiary.

   Your medical coverage includes physiotherapy, eye testing, and other ancillary services.

2. auxiliary; assisting.

   The bookkeeper serves in an ancillary role, supporting the treasurer.

---

noun

ancillaries plural

1. something that serves in an ancillary capacity.

   Downloadable ancillaries to the basic textbook, such as videos and worksheets, are on our website.

ancillary British  

/ ænˈsɪlərɪ /

adjective

1. subsidiary

2. auxiliary; supplementary

   ancillary services

---

noun

1. a subsidiary or auxiliary thing or person

   the company has an ancillary abroad

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ancillaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ancillary

First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin ancillāris “having the status of a handmaid or female servant” + -ary adjective suffix; see origin at ancilla, -ary

Explanation

If you use the adjective ancillary to describe your position you are subordinate or supporting something or someone else. The adjective ancillary originally meant "relating to maidservants" from the Latin, but the element of a female servant has fallen away and now the word merely refers to a position as helpful or subordinate. An example of how something in medicine can be ancillary is after you have surgery you may also take a drug to aid healing — the drug would be considered ancillary to the surgery. One could also argue that in the United States the vice-president takes an ancillary role to the president.

Example Sentences

Plans are in the works for a variety of unique, ancillary creations including a 15-second slide that mimics the path of reentry as a space shuttle descends back into Earth’s atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 24, 2026

Passenger ticket revenue rose 8.4% to 3.16 billion euros, while ancillary revenue rose 7.6% to 2.53 billion euros.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

The site features a calculator to show how much ancillary revenue can be earned.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026

While the extra revenue is good news for the city, which is looking to close an expected deficit of as much as $10 billion External link in 2027, some worry about its ancillary effects.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

It is possible that the other industries which are rising as ancillary to mining may for a while and to a reduced extent hold their ground.

From Impressions of South Africa by Bryce, James Bryce, Viscount

Related Words

• additional