Synonyms

secondly

American

[sek-uhnd-lee] / ˈsɛk ənd li /

adverb

in the second place; second.

secondly British

/ ˈsɛkəndlɪ /

adverb

another word for second, usually used to precede the second item in a list of topics

"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

Etymology

Origin of secondly

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English; second ¹ + -ly

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.

“Firstly it is not possible, secondly it is not appropriate,” sports minister Andrea Abodi added in an interview with La Press: “You qualify on the pitch.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

"Whether that's on gun regulation in New South Wales, or secondly, changes to protest, in order to lower the temperature in Sydney," he told reporters.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

“But first off, there’s 10 songs. And secondly, there’s huge stretches with almost no breaks, so just the musicians literally having time to turn the page can be challenging.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

And secondly, if they don’t innovate, their competitors may leave them in the dust.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 11, 2025

And secondly because he rarely knew any answers.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

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