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View synonyms for secondary
secondary
[ sek-uhn-der-ee ]
adjective
- next after the first in order, place, time, etc.
- belonging or pertaining to a second order, division, stage, period, rank, grade, etc.
- dependent on or generated by something more basic; derivative.
- (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
- of minor or lesser importance; subordinate; auxiliary.
Synonyms: backup, supplementary, subsidiary
- of or relating to secondary schools.
- Chemistry.
- involving or obtained by the replacement of two atoms or groups.
- noting or containing a carbon atom united to two other carbon atoms in a chain or ring molecule.
- 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.
- Geology. noting or pertaining to a mineral produced from another mineral by decay, alteration, or the like.
- Grammar.
- (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."
- having reference to past time; noting or pertaining to a past tense: Compare primary ( def 13 ).
the Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit secondary tenses.
- Ornithology. pertaining to any of a set of flight feathers on the second segment of a bird's wing.
- Linguistics. of, relating to, or characteristic of a secondary accent:
secondary stress.
noun
, plural sec·ond·ar·ies.
- a person or thing that is secondary.
- a subordinate, assistant, deputy, or agent.
- Electricity. a winding in a transformer or the like in which a current is induced by a primary winding.
- Ornithology. a secondary feather.
- Football. the defensive unit that lines up behind the linemen.
- Linguistics. secondary accent.
secondary
/ -drɪ; ˈsɛkəndərɪ /
adjective
- one grade or step after the first; not primary
- derived from or depending on what is primary, original, or first
a secondary source
- below the first in rank, importance, etc; not of major importance
- prenominal of or relating to the education of young people between the ages of 11 and 18
secondary education
- (of the flight feathers of a bird's wing) growing from the ulna
- 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
- (of a current) flowing in such a circuit Compare primary
- geology (of minerals) formed by the alteration of pre-existing minerals
- chem
- (of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to one hydrogen atom and two other groups
- (of an amine) having only two organic groups attached to a nitrogen atom; containing the group NH
- (of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of two acidic hydrogen atoms with metal atoms or electropositive groups
- linguistics
- derived from a word that is itself a derivation from another word. Thus, lovably comes from lovable and is a secondary derivative from love
- (of a tense in Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit) another word for historic
noun
- a person or thing that is secondary
- a subordinate, deputy, or inferior
- a secondary coil, winding, inductance, or current in an electric circuit
- ornithol any of the flight feathers that grow from the ulna of a bird's wing See primary
- astronomy a celestial body that orbits around a specified primary body
the moon is the secondary of the earth
- med a cancerous growth in some part of the body away from the site of the original tumour
- American football
- cornerbacks and safeties collectively
- their area in the field
- short for secondary colour
secondary
/ sĕk′ən-dĕr′ē /
- Relating to a secondary color.
- 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.
- See also secondary growth
- Relating to or having a carbon atom that is attached to two other carbon atoms in a molecule.
- Relating to an organic molecule, such as an alcohol, in which the functional group is attached to a secondary carbon.
- Relating to a medical condition that arises as a result of another disorder, disease process, or injury.
- Compare primary
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Derived Forms
- ˈsecondarily, adverb
- ˈsecondariness, noun
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Other Words From
- sec·ond·ar·i·ly [sek, -, uh, n-der-, uh, -lee, sek-, uh, n-, dair, -], adverb
- second·ari·ness noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of secondary1
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Related Words
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