auxiliary

adjective aux·il·ia·ry \ ȯg-ˈzil-yə-rē , -ˈzil-rē , -ˈzi-lə- \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of auxiliary

1 a : offering or providing help

b : functioning in a subsidiary capacity

an auxiliary branch of the state university

2 of a verb : accompanying another verb and typically expressing person, number, mood, or tense

In "I will go," the word "will" is an auxiliary verb.

3 a : supplementary

a telescope with its auxiliary apparatus

b : constituting a reserve

an auxiliary power plant

an auxiliary police force

4 of a boat : equipped with sails and a supplementary inboard engine

an auxiliary sloop

See auxiliary defined for English-language learners

See auxiliary defined for kids

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Examples of auxiliary in a Sentence

Travelers have also been griping about a lack of air-conditioning while planes are on the tarmac—even after delays stretch for hours. Airlines blame the problem on a breakdown of a plane's auxiliary power unit. —Darren Everson, Wall Street Journal, 8 Aug. 2007
However, on March 1, 1896, Italian forces underwent a stunning defeat at Adwa, where they fought against the warriors of the Abyssinian emperor, Menelik. Some five thousand Italian troops and two thousand native auxiliary troops had been killed or captured, and the colony had been lost. —Mirella Tenderini et al., The Duke of the Abruzzi, 1997
The rotund 6'1", 235-pound object of their affections hasn't played a day of major league baseball, he dresses in the auxiliary locker room, and he isn't even listed on Boston's 40-man roster. But after a resplendent summer last year at Triple A Pawtucket and a winter of panegyrics from a giddy Boston press, first baseman Maurice Samuel (Mo) Vaughn, 23, has arrived as a "real" rookie who everyone in Red Sox-land hopes is the real thing. —Nicholas Dawidoff, Sports Illustrated, 1 Apr. 1991
a sailboat with an auxiliary engine
the auditorium has an auxiliary cooling system used only on particularly sweltering days

Recent Examples of auxiliary from the Web

Because of the its size, Fox Valley Ice Arena in Geneva and Scott R. Triphahn Community Center & Ice Arena in Hoffman Estates will be used as auxiliary rinks.

— mike danahey, Elgin Courier-News, "Elgin-area ice rinks host hockey festival for players with disabilities," 3 Apr. 2018
For the remainder of the spring quarter, the high school's auxiliary gym will serve as the temporary cafeteria space.

— john benson, cleveland.com, "Olmsted Falls High School begins $21.9 million expansion and renovation," 2 Apr. 2018
The donation will fund a team of teachers and auxiliary staff, including speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, and psychologists.

— debora almeida, BostonGlobe.com, "MetroWest Jewish Day School receives donation for special education," 27 Mar. 2018
Children’s hospital auxiliary to meet The North County Unit of Rady Children’s Hospital Auxiliary will hold its annual membership luncheon after the regular meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 845 Chestnut St., Escondido.

— linda mcintosh, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Veterans Assoc. of N.C. gets $100,000," 19 Mar. 2018
Those who refused to give up the protest and go back to class (about 40 students) were herded into the auxiliary gym, where they were asked to write down their names and student ID numbers.

— rose minutaglio, Seventeen, "I Was Suspended From School For Walking Out To Support Gun Control," 15 Mar. 2018
The losers move into a consolation tournament and will play in the arena's auxiliary gym.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Scammon Bay girls romp as they begin their quest for another basketball crown," 15 Mar. 2018
The auxiliary also presented a $10,000 contribution for Abingdon’s EMS operations.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Abingdon EMS chief honored for actions after Edgewood workplace shooting," 26 Feb. 2018
Telegram challenged an auxiliary order by the Federal Security Service, claiming that the procedure doesn’t involve a court order and breaches constitutional rights for privacy, according to documents.

— ilya khrennikov, Bloomberg.com, "Telegram Loses Bid to Block Russia From Encryption Keys," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'auxiliary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of auxiliary

Latin auxiliaris, from auxilium help; akin to Latin augēre to increase — more at eke

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First Known Use: 15th century

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auxiliary Synonyms

auxiliary

noun aux·il·ia·ry \ ȯg-ˈzil-yə-rē , -ˈzil-rē , -ˈzi-lə- \

Definition of auxiliary

plural auxiliaries

1 a : an auxiliary person, group, or device; specifically : a member of a foreign force serving a nation at war

b : a Roman Catholic titular bishop assisting a diocesan bishop and not having the right of succession — called also auxiliary bishop

2 : a sailing boat or ship equipped with a supplementary inboard engine

3 grammar : an auxiliary verb

See auxiliary defined for English-language learners

Examples of auxiliary in a Sentence

In 1944 Forrestal also began a program of sending black enlisted men to serve in a limited number of fleet auxiliaries. These were still not warships, but they were seagoing vessels and closer to the fighting Navy than the small harbor-defense craft and harbor auxiliaries that had initially been open to black crews. —The Golden Thirteen, 1993
Roman cavalry was poorly developed; they relied on wings, called alae, of horsemen supplied by their auxiliaries. The favorite Roman battle formation was of a triple line of cohorts with alae sweeping the flanks. —Kenneth P. Czech, MHQ : The Quarterly Journal of Military History, Autumn 1992