secondary

American  

[sek-uhn-der-ee] / ˈsɛk ənˌdɛr i /

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

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.

       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.

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noun

• secondaries
  plural

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 British  

/ ˈsɛkəndərɪ, -drɪ /

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. (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

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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. 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. cornerbacks and safeties collectively

   2. their area in the field

8. short for secondary colour

secondary Scientific  

/ 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 tertiary

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• secondariness
  noun
• secondarily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• secondaries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of secondary

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

Explanation

Something secondary is second most important. This can also refer to things that are not important at all. If you have a primary duty, that's what you need to do first. Secondary duties must be done next, since second is a form of the number two. You could say your secondary goal at a job is to get experience, if your main goal is to make money. Also, people will sometimes say, "This is our goal. Everything else is secondary." That means other concerns are trivial or unimportant. Either way, secondary things never come first.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

secondary secondaries

Tiafoe has now won all 10 of his matches on the US Open's secondary show court, while it is just his second win in eight appearances against Russian Medvedev.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

After their secondary was exposed in an NFC championship game defeat by the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams traded for All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

Founded in 2015, Revolut has grown rapidly, reaching a valuation of $115 billion in a secondary share sale in July.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

The reviews coming out of last week’s debut for USC’s defense were less glowing for the secondary, which gave up three pass plays of 20 yards or more in the second half.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026

And so, beginning in 1932, military training was built into the secondary education curriculum in the USSR.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Advising on such deals has become more competitive in recent years as a swath of boutique banks and placement agents seek to capitalize on the secondaries boom through senior hires and M&A.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Investec recently shuttered its GP-led advisory business, following senior departures, as other banks pull back from secondaries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Over the many years that Hamilton Lane has invested in secondaries, Hirsch says about 70% of its returns have come from asset appreciation, with the remaining 30% coming from savvy buying.

From Barron's ● May 28, 2026

“This isn’t a blanket comment that all secondaries are bad,” he added.

From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026

His secondaries sprouted along his forearms, and a charming little false primary sprang from the end of each thumb.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• inferior
• insignificant
• trivial
• unimportant