Definitions for secondary
ˈsɛk ənˌdɛr isec·onda·ry

Princeton's WordNet(3.80 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. secondarynoun

   the defensive football players who line up behind the linemen

2. secondary coil, secondary winding, secondaryadjective

   coil such that current is induced in it by passing a current through the primary coil

3. secondaryadjective

   being of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate

   "the stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher"; "a secondary source"; "a secondary issue"; "secondary streams"

4. junior-grade, lower-ranking, lowly, petty(a), secondary, subalternadjective

   inferior in rank or status

   "the junior faculty"; "a lowly corporal"; "petty officialdom"; "a subordinate functionary"

5. secondaryadjective

   depending on or incidental to what is original or primary

   "a secondary infection"

6. secondaryadjective

   not of major importance

   "played a secondary role in world events"

7. secondaryadjective

   belonging to a lower class or rank

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. secondarynoun

   Any flight feather attached to the ulna (forearm) of a bird.

2. secondaryadjective

   Succeeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, rank, etc.; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate.

3. secondaryadjective

   Acting by deputation or delegated authority; as, the work of secondary hands.

4. secondaryadjective

   Possessing some quality, or having been subject to some operation (as substitution), in the second degree; as, a secondary salt, a secondary amine, etc. Compare primary.

5. secondaryadjective

   Subsequent in origin; -- said of minerals produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rocks mass; also of characters of minerals (as secondary cleavage, etc.) developed by pressure or other causes.

6. secondaryadjective

   Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.

7. secondaryadjective

   Dependent or consequent upon another disease; as, Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever; or occurring in the second stage of a disease; as, the secondary symptoms of syphilis.

8. secondaryadjective

   Of less than primary importance.

9. secondaryadjective

   Formed by mixing primary colors.

   Yellow is a secondary light color, though a primary CMYK color.

10. secondarynoun

    Any flight feather attached to the ulna of a bird.

11. secondarynoun

    An act of issuing more stock by an already publicly traded corporation.

12. secondarynoun

    The defensive backs.

13. secondarynoun

    An inductive coil or loop that is magnetically powered by a primary in a transformer or similar

14. secondarynoun

    One who occupies a subordinate or auxiliary place; a delegate deputy.

    the secondary, or undersheriff, of the city of London

15. secondarynoun

    A secondary circle.

16. secondarynoun

    A satellite.

17. secondarynoun

    A secondary school.

    There are four secondaries in this district, each with several thousand pupils.

18. secondarynoun

    Anything secondary or of lesser importance.

19. Etymology: From Middle English secundarie, from Latin secundārius ("of the second class or quality"), from secundus (whence the English second) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary); compare the French secondaire, the Italian secondario, the Occitan secundari, the Portuguese secundario, and the Spanish secundario.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. SECONDARYadjective

   Etymology: secundarius, Latin.

   1. Not primary; not of the first intention; not of the first rate; next to the first.

   Two are the radical differences: the secondary differences are as four. Francis Bacon, Natural History.

   Wheresoever there is moral right on the one hand, no secondary right can discharge it. Roger L'Estrange.

   Gravitation is the powerful cement which holds together this magnificent structure of the world, which stretcheth the North over the empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing, to transfer the words of Job from the first and real cause to the secondary. Richard Bentley.

   If the system had been fortuitously formed by the convening matter of a chaos, how is it conceivable that all the planets, both primary and secondary, should revolve the same way from the West to the East, and that in the same plane? Richard Bentley.

   2. Acting by transmission or deputation.

   That we were form’d then, say’st thou? and the work
   Of secondary hands, by task transfer’d
   From father to his son? John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. v.

   As in a watch’s fine machine,
   Though many artful springs are seen,
   The added movements which declare
   How full the moon, how old the year,
   Derive their secondary pow’r
   From that which simply points the hour. Matthew Prior.

   3.A secondary fever is that which arises after a crisis, or the discharge of some morbid matter, as after the declension of the small pox or measles. John Quincy

2. Secondarynoun

   A delegate; a deputy.

   Etymology: from the adjective.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Secondaryadjective

   suceeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, rank, etc.; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate

2. Secondaryadjective

   acting by deputation or delegated authority; as, the work of secondary hands

3. Secondaryadjective

   possessing some quality, or having been subject to some operation (as substitution), in the second degree; as, a secondary salt, a secondary amine, etc. Cf. primary

4. Secondaryadjective

   subsequent in origin; -- said of minerals produced by alteertion or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rocks mass; also of characters of minerals (as secondary cleavage, etc.) developed by pressure or other causes

5. Secondaryadjective

   pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird

6. Secondaryadjective

   dependent or consequent upon another disease; as, Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever. (b) Occuring in the second stage of a disease; as, the secondary symptoms of syphilis

7. Secondarynoun

   one who occupies a subordinate, inferior, or auxiliary place; a delegate deputy; one who is second or next to the chief officer; as, the secondary, or undersheriff of the city of London

8. Secondarynoun

   a secondary circle

9. Secondarynoun

   a satellite

10. Secondarynoun

    a secondary quill

Matched Categories

1. • Formation

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'secondary' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #2368

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'secondary' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3303

3. Adjectives Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'secondary' in Adjectives Frequency: #312

How to pronounce secondary?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say secondary in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of secondary in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of secondary in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of secondary in a Sentence

1. John Salmons:

   It's beautiful to watch but impossible to get through, the main roads were fine it was just the secondary roads that were worst.

2. Elaine Arnoldy:

   If we can't count on the integrity of our democracy, then everything else is secondary, this is the No. 1 issue.

3. Simon Lowden:

   It's a complex picture, certainly, you have to think about transport, secondary packaging, time in store, all those considerations come into play.

4. Ike Wingate:

   I saw the story somewhere online talking about how the billboard was rejected— a little bit vague on the details as far as who and why—but it was rejected because of the messaging and my understanding that it was going to incite feelings that would not be desirable around the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, when I saw that I thought ‘that’s too bad’…I thought ‘wow it’s a shame they are not able to promote that from the standpoint of the film’ but then from a secondary standpoint the right to free speech was in some senses denied, so I didn't like that.

5. Mansoor Husain:

   We did see a 50% reduction in cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality, but these were secondary endpoints.

Popularity rank by frequency of use