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secondary

[ sek-uhn-der-ee ]
/ ˈsɛk ənˌdɛr i /
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See synonyms for: secondary / secondaries on Thesaurus.com

adjective
noun, plural sec·ond·ar·ies.
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Origin of secondary

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word secundārius.See second1, -ary

OTHER WORDS FROM secondary

sec·ond·ar·i·ly [sek-uhn-der-uh-lee, sek-uhn-dair-], /ˈsɛk ənˌdɛr ə li, ˌsɛk ənˈdɛər-/, adverbsec·ond·ar·i·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use secondary in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for secondary

secondary
/ (ˈsɛkəndərɪ, -drɪ) /

adjective
noun plural -aries

Derived forms of secondary

secondarily, adverbsecondariness, noun
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

Scientific definitions for secondary

secondary
[ sĕkən-dĕr′ē ]

Relating to a secondary color.
Relating to or derived from either of the lateral meristems (the cork cambium or the vascular cambium) of vascular plants. For example, secondary xylem in a stem is produced by the vascular cambium, as opposed to primary xylem produced by the apical meristem during the original growth of the stem from a seedling. See also secondary growth.
  1. Relating to or having a carbon atom that is attached to two other carbon atoms in a molecule.
  2. Relating to an organic molecule, such as an alcohol, in which the functional group is attached to a secondary carbon.
Relating to a medical condition that arises as a result of another disorder, disease process, or injury. Compare primary tertiary.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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