secondary

[ sek-uhn-der-ee ]

adjective

1. next after the first in order, place, time, etc.
2. belonging or pertaining to a second order, division, stage, period, rank, grade, etc.
3. dependent on or generated by something more basic; derivative.
4. (in scholarly studies) pertaining to or being a derived or derivative account, an evaluation of original data, etc.; not primary or original, as in secondary source secondary research
5. of minor or lesser importance; subordinate; auxiliary.

   Synonyms: backup, supplementary, subsidiary

6. of or relating to secondary schools.
7. Chemistry.
   1. involving or obtained by the replacement of two atoms or groups.
   2. noting or containing a carbon atom united to two other carbon atoms in a chain or ring molecule.
8. Electricity. noting or pertaining to the current induced by a primary winding or to the winding in which the current is induced in an induction coil, transformer, or the like.
9. Geology. noting or pertaining to a mineral produced from another mineral by decay, alteration, or the like.
10. Grammar.
    1. (of a derivative) having a root or other unanalyzable element that is itself a word or free form:

       The word “glazier” is a secondary derivative formed by adding a suffix to “glaze.” The word "debatably" is formed directly from "debatable" and is therefore a secondary derivative from "debate."

    2. having reference to past time; noting or pertaining to a past tense: Compare primary ( def 13 ).

       the Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit secondary tenses.

11. Ornithology. pertaining to any of a set of flight feathers on the second segment of a bird's wing.
12. Linguistics. of, relating to, or characteristic of a secondary accent:

    secondary stress.

noun

, plural sec·ond·ar·ies.

1. a person or thing that is secondary.
2. a subordinate, assistant, deputy, or agent.
3. Electricity. a winding in a transformer or the like in which a current is induced by a primary winding.
4. Ornithology. a secondary feather.
5. Football. the defensive unit that lines up behind the linemen.
6. Linguistics. secondary accent.

secondary

/ -drɪ; ˈsɛkəndərɪ /

adjective

1. one grade or step after the first; not primary
2. derived from or depending on what is primary, original, or first

   a secondary source

3. below the first in rank, importance, etc; not of major importance
4. prenominal of or relating to the education of young people between the ages of 11 and 18

   secondary education

5. (of the flight feathers of a bird's wing) growing from the ulna
6. 1. being the part of an electric circuit, such as a transformer or induction coil, in which a current is induced by a changing current in a neighbouring coil

      a secondary coil

   2. (of a current) flowing in such a circuit Compare primary
7. See tertiary
   (of an industry) involving the manufacture of goods from raw materials Compare primary tertiary
8. geology (of minerals) formed by the alteration of pre-existing minerals
9. chem
   1. (of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to one hydrogen atom and two other groups
   2. (of an amine) having only two organic groups attached to a nitrogen atom; containing the group NH
   3. (of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of two acidic hydrogen atoms with metal atoms or electropositive groups
10. linguistics
    1. derived from a word that is itself a derivation from another word. Thus, lovably comes from lovable and is a secondary derivative from love
    2. (of a tense in Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit) another word for historic

noun

1. a person or thing that is secondary
2. a subordinate, deputy, or inferior
3. a secondary coil, winding, inductance, or current in an electric circuit
4. See primary
   ornithol any of the flight feathers that grow from the ulna of a bird's wing See primary
5. astronomy a celestial body that orbits around a specified primary body

   the moon is the secondary of the earth

6. med a cancerous growth in some part of the body away from the site of the original tumour
7. American football
   1. the secondary cornerbacks and safeties collectively
   2. their area in the field
8. See secondary colour
   short for secondary colour

secondary

/ sĕk′ən-dĕr′ē /

1. Relating to a secondary color.
2. 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.
3. See also secondary growth
4. 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.
5. Relating to a medical condition that arises as a result of another disorder, disease process, or injury.
6. Compare primary

Derived Forms

• ˈsecondariness, noun
• ˈsecondarily, adverb

Other Words From

• sec·ond·ar·i·ly [sek, -, uh, n-der-, uh, -lee, sek-, uh, n-, dair, -], adverb
• second·ari·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of secondary¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Latin word secundārius. See second ¹, -ary

Example Sentences

Soon they will start producing honey, collecting nectar from nearby plants and holding it in a secondary stomach in order to get it back to the hive.

From Popular-Science

All the way back in 2011, companies like SecondMarket were seeing nine-figures’ worth of shares being traded on their secondary share platforms.

From TechCrunch

Instead, the Internet has become our primary mechanism for socializing, rather than a secondary one.

From Washington Post

That’s when I came up with the idea for what I like to call my secondary pantry.

From Washington Post

Considerable differences still exist in how the various modeling systems are handling the location, evolution and track of the secondary low.

From Washington Post

Over the past three years, Michigan has had an average price close to $200 on the secondary market.

From The Daily Beast

He fooled around a lot, and was asked to leave his secondary school.

From The Daily Beast

More importantly, Medicaid served as a secondary insurance to his primary insurance.

From The Daily Beast

The plot of the film runs secondary to the spectacle, and is denser than a TED conference.

From The Daily Beast

The realities with which we are engaged in our daily lives are secondary realities.

From The Daily Beast

(b) In secondary anemia plaques are generally increased, although sometimes decreased.

From Project Gutenberg

Severe secondary anemia sometimes gives an identical picture.

From Project Gutenberg

The red corpuscles show the changes usual in severe secondary anemia.

From Project Gutenberg

The secondary storms of cyclones, such as are above noted, receive the name of tornadoes.

From Project Gutenberg

There are many secondary influences of a less important nature which are due to the ocean streams.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• inferior
• insignificant
• trivial
• unimportant