Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

secondary source

American  
[se-kuhnd-eree sawrs] / ˈsɛ kəndˌɛri ˈsɔrs /

noun

  1. a description based on a first-hand account, often of a historical event.

  2. an analysis of or commentary on a literary work or piece of art.


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.

To fill the gap in “sealift,” China’s military would lean on a secondary source: civilian ships.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

Gone are competitive purses because of the lack of a secondary source of income such as casino gambling.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 2, 2025

Baucus said in depositions with attorneys that the clinic’s practice of declaring some patients eligible for benefits without confirmation of their condition from a secondary source such as an X-ray was legitimate.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 29, 2023

The College Board has said it has sought copyright permission to distribute a range of secondary source text from authors and scholars, including Crenshaw, Ta-Nehisi Coates and James Baldwin.

From Washington Post • Feb. 9, 2023

Most had recently adopted agriculture or were soon to do so, but it was still a secondary source of food, a supplement to the wild products of the land.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann