Definition of COROLLARY

The Origin and Evolution of Corollary

Corollary comes from the Late Latin noun corollarium, which can be translated as "a garland given as a reward." "Corollarium" comes from the Latin corolla, meaning "small crown or garland." If you know that a garland or small crown was sometimes given to actors in addition to their pay, it makes sense that another sense of "corollarium" is "gratuity." Later, "corollarium" developed the philosophical sense of a supplementary proposition that follows directly from one that has been proved. (You can think of a corollary as a "bonus" that follows from the proof of something else.) The broader modern sense, "something that naturally follows," evolved from the philosophical one.

Examples of corollary in a Sentence

one corollary of the rise of television was a massive makeover of radio's programming increased taxes—or expanding deficits—are the inevitable corollary to any new government spending program

Recent Examples on the Web This rule change is corollary to another which restricts the number of teammates wearing the same jersey number to two. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "NCAA abolishes targeting ‘walk of shame’ like the one Ohio State football’s Shaun Wade took at Fiesta Bowl," 21 Apr. 2020 The corollary to Rule 2 is that the best defense is a good offense. — William A. Galston, WSJ, "Trump’s Grim Handbook for Governance," 16 Oct. 2018 The corollary is equally important: keep high-calorie, less nourishing foods relatively inaccessible and out of sight if not out of the house entirely. — New York Times, "How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off," 16 Mar. 2020 That freedom may seem under attack these days, a corollary to the feeling of abject vulnerability back on that sorrowful day — my gosh, 18 years ago! — that a nation took numerous direct hits to its sense of security. — Peter Marks, Washington Post, "It’s been 18 years since 9/11, but ‘Come From Away’ will still bring you to tears," 13 Dec. 2019 The Gothams, now in their 29th year, are the premier New York gala for independent film, a kind of earlier East Coast corollary to Los Angeles’ Independent Film Spirit Awards in February. — Jake Coyle, chicagotribune.com, "‘Marriage Story’ dominates Gotham Awards with 4 wins," 3 Dec. 2019 The Gothams, now in their 29th year, are the premier New York gala for independent film, a kind of earlier East Coast corollary to Los Angeles’ Independent Film Spirit Awards in February. — USA TODAY, "'Marriage Story' dominates at the Gotham Awards with 4 wins ahead of Netflix release," 3 Dec. 2019 While the topics are adventurous, the nonfiction collection tackles the all-too-human topic of yearning and its oft-corollary, obsession. — Los Angeles Times, "Review: Leslie Jamison gets personal in ‘Make It Scream, Make It Burn’," 29 Sep. 2019 The corollary, of course, is that few corporate players have as much to lose from getting caught up in the rising political tensions between the two countries. — Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, "As the U.S. and China clash, Nike walks a tightrope," 25 Oct. 2019

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