Word of the Day

: July 31, 2023

ancillary

adjective AN-suh-lair-ee

What It Means

Ancillary is an adjective used in formal speech and writing as a synonym of supplementary to describe things that provide something additional to a main part or function of something else. Ancillary can also mean "of lower or secondary class or rank."

// One ancillary benefit of Beatrice's job at the movie theater is the ability to catch an early glimpse of new releases.

// Her job is to oversee the flagship store and its ancillary outlets.

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ancillary in Context

"... The Mitre is a gorgeous Grade II-listed boutique hotel, set on the banks of the River Thames. Rebuilt in the mid-18th century, the building dates back to 1665 and was originally used as an ancillary accommodation for guests of King Charles II." — Joanne Shurvell, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2022

Did You Know?

If you’re already familiar with ancillary, pull up a chair and help yourself to a side dish of trivia. The word comes from the Latin word ancilla, meaning "a female servant," which also gave us the rarer English word ancilla, meaning "an aid to achieving or mastering something difficult." While the English ancilla (which made its debut a couple of centuries after ancillary) is unlikely to be encountered except in very specialized contexts (such as philosophy or quantum computing), ancillary picks up on the notion of providing aid or support in a way that supplements something else. In particular, the word often describes something that is in a position of secondary importance, such as the "ancillary products in a company's line."