secondary

1 of 2

adjective

sec·​ond·​ary ˈse-kən-ˌder-ē How to pronounce secondary (audio)
1
a
: of second rank, importance, or value
b
: of, relating to, or constituting the second strongest of the three or four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists
the fourth syllable of basketball team carries secondary stress
c
of a tense : expressive of past time
2
a
: immediately derived from something original, primary, or basic
b
: of, relating to, or being the induced current or its circuit in an induction coil or transformer
secondary voltage
c
: characterized by or resulting from the substitution of two atoms or groups in a molecule
a secondary salt
especially : being, characterized by, or attached to a carbon atom having bonds to two other carbon atoms
d(1)
: not first in order of occurrence or development
(2)
: dependent or consequent on another disease or condition
secondary hypertension
(3)
: produced by activity of formative tissue and especially cambium other than that at a growing point
secondary growth
secondary phloem
3
a
: of, relating to, or being the second order or stage in a series
b
: of, relating to, or being the second segment of the wing of a bird or the quills of this segment
c
: of or relating to a secondary school
secondary education
secondarily adverb
secondariness noun

secondary

2 of 2

noun

plural secondaries
1
: one occupying a subordinate or auxiliary position rather than that of a principal
2
: a defensive football backfield
3
: the coil through which the secondary current passes in an induction coil or transformer

called also secondary coil

4
: any of the quill feathers of the forearm of a bird see wing illustration

Examples of secondary in a Sentence

Adjective Winning is secondary—we play for the fun of the sport. There are some secondary issues which must be taken into account as well. I want a car that's reliable; the color is of secondary importance. The secondary roads are indicated on the map with a green line. Better gas mileage is a secondary benefit of reduced speed limits. Noun The team has a strong secondary.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Oasis is canceling reunion tour tickets sold by resellers The band is canceling around 50,000 tickets for its British tour dates that were resold on secondary websites like StubHub and Viagogo. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 30 Oct. 2024 Ticketmaster also donated its services and put plans in place to keep tickets out of the secondary market. Melinda Newman, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
Advertisement Hurst helped lead a Colts’ secondary that held the Panthers scoreless in the second half. Benjamin Royer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2024 The secondaries market is hot right now—for some startups, that is. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for secondary 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'secondary.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of secondary was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near secondary

Cite this Entry

“Secondary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/secondary. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

secondary

1 of 2 adjective
sec·​ond·​ary ˈsek-ən-ˌder-ē How to pronounce secondary (audio)
1
a
: of second rank, importance, or value
secondary considerations
b
: of, relating to, or being the second strongest of the three or four levels of stress
the last syllable of "refrigerate" has secondary stress
2
a
: coming from something original or basic
b
: of, relating to, or being the current created by a change in the primary current or the circuit of the created current in an induction coil or transformer
a secondary coil
secondary voltage
3
a
: of, relating to, or being a second rank or grade in a series
b
: of or relating to a secondary school
secondarily
ˌsek-ən-ˈder-ə-lē
adverb

secondary

2 of 2 noun
plural secondaries
1
: the defensive football players who line up behind the line of scrimmage
2
: any of the quill feathers attached to the ulna of the wing of a bird
3
: the coil through which the secondary current passes in an induction coil or transformer

called also secondary coil

Medical Definition

secondary

adjective
sec·​ond·​ary ˈsek-ən-ˌder-ē How to pronounce secondary (audio)
1
: not first in order of occurrence or development: as
a
: dependent or consequent on another disease
secondary diabetes
Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever
b
: occurring or being in the second stage
secondary symptoms of syphilis
c
: occurring some time after the original injury
a secondary hemorrhage
2
: characterized by or resulting from the substitution of two atoms or groups in a molecule
a secondary salt
especially : being, characterized by, or attached to a carbon atom having bonds to two other carbon atoms
3
: relating to or being the three-dimensional coiling of the polypeptide chain of a protein especially in the form of an alpha-helix compare primary entry 1 sense 4, tertiary entry 2 sense 2c
secondarily adverb

Legal Definition

secondary

adjective
sec·​ond·​ary ˈse-kən-ˌder-ē How to pronounce secondary (audio)
1
: of second rank, status, importance, or value
2
: derived from something original or primary
3
: of, relating to, or being the second order or stage in a series
secondarily adverb
secondariness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on secondary

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