SECONDARY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

secondary 1 of 2

adjective

ˈse-kən-ˌder-ē

Definition of secondary

as in derivative

taken or created from something original or basic history textbooks are secondary sources for historical information and do not represent original research

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in minor

of little or less value or merit we need to focus on getting the groceries bought and the rent paid—everything else is secondary

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

secondary

2 of 2

noun

as in dependent

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of secondary

Adjective

Making Connection Part Of The Work Relationships and trust are often treated as secondary to strategy, operations and results. — Lauren Footman, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026 It was expanded to all secondary athletics, including middle school athletics, Friday. — Tom Dougherty, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Noun

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had career highs with 12 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday against an Illinois secondary that was expected to be the team’s strength going into the season. — Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026 Maryland’s reliance on the passing game could pose problems for a secondary that was picked apart by Purdue quarterback Ryan Browne last week and is still without free safety Tao Johnson. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for secondary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for secondary

Adjective

Swaps are derivative contracts where the parties exchange payments or risked based on something else.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Prediction markets are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal agency that oversees derivative markets, among other areas.

— Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of derivative

Adjective

The idea is to sound like an inferior buck in the brush, one that is roaming around a mature deer’s space and getting on his nerves.

— Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026
Only 272 yards, at home, against a UCLA team that unquestionably has inferior talent?

— Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of inferior

Noun

And in the end — like Dick Ebersol — Harry Shearer is only willing to accept a subordinate’s vision if it’s executed to his exact specifications.

— Blake J. Harris, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2026
Keeping track of scheming or incompetent subordinates has always been the autocrat’s chief burden.

— Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of subordinate

Adjective

The last time a streak had a mean reading that high was during a period ending in the 1980s.

— Alex Harring, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
For this leaner, meaner Deafheaven, stylistic variety takes a backseat to speed and chaos, and when properly executed, subtle melodic or rhythmic tweaks wield the heft of the more tectonic transitions in the band’s defining songs.

— Patrick Lyons, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of mean

Noun

The subject is of particular interest at CBS News, where Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has repeatedly encouraged the network’s journalists to dedicate serious resources to finding a potential link.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Zacharia took questions from three conservative outlets at the press conference, including a question on one of the biggest subjects in the news.

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026