ancillary
adjective
Lisa W. Foderaro
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."
Examples of ancillary in a Sentence
Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 Nov. 2005
I am in love with a man who is in love with boats. As far as ancillary loves are concerned, I understand things could be worse. Sadly, I do not love boats.
—Ann Patchett, Gourmet, May 2003
Traditionally museums have been built to house collections, and for ancillary functions such as storage, conservation, administration, and education.
—Jayne Merkel, Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2002
Paleolithic hunters and gatherers obtained an abundance of complete protein, mostly from wild game; their vegetable foods were an ancillary protein source. This pattern prevailed until agriculture transformed it, shifting the human diet away from meat and toward plant food.
—S. Boyd Eaton et al., The Paleolithic Prescription, 1988
The company hopes to boost its sales by releasing ancillary products.
Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 13 Nov. 2025
In addition, the brand is moving slowly and strategically to expand its assortment, but the long-term goal is to have a breadth of ancillary products.
—Emily Burns, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025
But outside of the extremely expensive ancillary platforms that enhance Lumines Arise, the core game does deliver something special among puzzlers on its native devices.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 11 Nov. 2025
The amateur journalist believes Dale Washberg, the black-sheep son of a powerful local family, has been murdered, and Lee is bound and determined to get to the truth, bring down the corrupt Washberg family, and, as an ancillary benefit, bask in the smug satisfaction of his own correctness.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancillary
Cite this Entry
“Ancillary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancillary. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
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ancillary
adjective
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