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
That's true of a majority of the agriculture in the country, the agency found, noting that most farmers rely on secondary or off-farm income to live. The Arizona Republic, 5 Mar. 2024 Final Touches Lastly, the hat undergoes a secondary flanging before arriving at the hatter’s bench for final finishing, including creasing, polishing, and gentle steaming to relax the fibers and bring out the colors. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024 The vehicle was sent to the secondary inspection area for further investigation, where a K-9 team specializing in concealed humans and narcotics detection received permission from the taxi driver to search the vehicle. Elizabeth Pritchett, Fox News, 1 Mar. 2024 Historically, domestic production requirements have typically been elements of tax credit regimes aimed at pursuing other ends—with encouraging domestic markets being of secondary concern. Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Achieve a more maximalist style by using a secondary pattern like soft florals or a classic stripe. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Mar. 2024 That’s why internationally, Capital One may continue to use Visa or Mastercard as secondary networks. Emily Mason, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Phone use behind the wheel used to be a secondary offense until Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new driving law in 2019. Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 That’s not exactly a dealbreaker here, though, as Ignition’s casino is secondary to its main component — which happens to be poker. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024
Noun
Senior defensive back Dean Clark (67 tackles, 2 INTs) leads an experienced secondary that also includes seniors Morice Norris Jr., who has 3 1/2 sacks and Carlton Johnson, who has a team-high four interceptions. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023 Shares of the company have been trading on the secondary market at a valuation of approximately $4.8 billion, according to both Rainmaker and another secondaries brokerage Forge Global. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 23 Feb. 2024 Bringing him back on an inexpensive deal would help keep together what was one of the best secondaries in the league. 8. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 13 Feb. 2024 With Mahomes and the offense no longer lighting up opposing secondaries like in the past, the pressure was on Spagnuolo's defense. Noah Trister, USA TODAY, 12 Feb. 2024 That production, along with Julian Blackmon's breakout year at strong safety, helped the Colts survive one of the youngest secondaries in the league to finish 9-8 and within a few plays of the playoffs. The Indianapolis Star, 9 Jan. 2024 The customer, the CEO of Linear, accused Carta of using his startup’s confidential data without his approval to build out Carta’s own order book for its secondaries market platform. Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2024 Smith has been an afterthought in this offense of late with A.J. Brown dominating targets and opposing secondaries. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Oct. 2023 The Ravens should also be able to score against what is one of the worst secondaries in the NFL. Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023

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 18 Mar. 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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