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Synonyms

sec

1 American  

  1. secant.

  2. second.

  3. section.

sec 2 American  
[sek] / sɛk /

adjective

  1. (of wines) dry; not sweet.

sec 3 American  
[sek] / sɛk /

noun

Informal.

  1. second.

SEC 4 American  
Or S.E.C.
U.S. Government.

  1. Securities and Exchange Commission: a board, consisting of five members, charged with regulating the public offer and sale of securities.

sec. 5 American  

abbreviation

  1. second.

  2. secondary.

  3. secretary.

  4. section.

  5. sector.

  6. according to.

sec 1 British  
/ sɛk /

adjective

  1. (of wines) dry

  2. (of champagne) of medium sweetness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
sec 2 British  
/ sɛk /

abbreviation

  1. secant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
SEC 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Securities and Exchange Commission

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
sec 4 British  
/ sɛk /

noun

  1. informal short for second 2

    wait a sec
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
sec. 5 British  

abbreviation

  1. second (of time)

  2. secondary

  3. secretary

  4. section

  5. sector

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
sec Scientific  

  1. Abbreviation of secant

Etymology

Origin of sec2

From French, dating back to 1885–90; sack 3

Origin of sec3

First recorded in 1955–60; by shortening

Origin of sec.5

From the Latin word secundum

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Mir became the pace setter after the 28-year-old clocked 1 min 56.874 sec on his Honda machine after 11 laps, to become the fastest rider over two days of testing in Malaysia.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

Caporale suggests adding agave nectar to sweeten the lime juice base, along with orange juice or orange peel to compensate for the lack of triple sec.

From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026

I’ll get real with you for a sec — this show coming out.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2025

Back to the courtroom for a sec: have you seen “JURY DUTY”? The TV sleeper hit sticks the landing.

From Washington Times • Dec. 6, 2023

“Give me the tape and the paper towels and a sec to get ready.”

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.