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.
Kevin Rozario, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
In the film business, LIFO means that those putting money in at a later stage have the advantage of test screenings and other assurances, and can exit without waiting through a progression of ancillary windows.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2026
The ancillary study was smaller, and some of the participants randomized in earlier stages crossed over from medical to surgical treatment, and the reverse.
—Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 19 Jan. 2026
Too often, geopolitical advisory units and risk analysts are hired into ancillary roles which are peripheral to core decision-making—consultants called in to write reports that gather dust, or government affairs departments focused on lobbying rather than strategic anticipation.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancillary
Cite this Entry
“Ancillary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancillary. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
ancillary
adjective
