1
a
: next to the first in place or time
was second in line
b(1)
: next to the first in value, excellence, or degree
his second choice of schools
(2)
: inferior, subordinate
was second to none
c
: ranking next below the top of a grade or degree in authority or precedence
second mate
e
: resembling or suggesting a prototype : another
a second Thoreau
f
: being the forward gear or speed next higher than first in a motor vehicle
2
: relating to or having a part typically subordinate to and lower in pitch than the first part in concerted or ensemble music
1
a
: one that is number two in a series see Table of Numbers
b
: one that is next after the first in rank, position, authority, or precedence
the second in line
2
: one that assists or supports another
especially
: the assistant of a duelist or boxer
3
a
: the musical interval embracing two diatonic degrees
b
: a tone at this interval
specifically
: supertonic
c
: the harmonic combination of two tones a second apart
4
a
seconds plural
: merchandise that is usually slightly flawed and does not meet the manufacturer's standard for firsts or irregulars
b
: an article of such merchandise
5
: the act or declaration by which a parliamentary motion is seconded
6
: a place next below the first in a competition, examination, or contest
7
8
: the second forward gear or speed of a motor vehicle
9
seconds plural
: a second helping of food
1
: in the second place : secondly
These two kinds of image … have a powerful appeal for us, first, because we are all … inevitably concerned about our fate, and second, because our concern is itself twofold …—
Robert Penn Warren
Robert Penn Warren2
: before all others with one exception
the nation's second largest city
They are my second favorite band.
1
a
: the 60th part of a minute of angular measure
b
: the 60th part of a minute of time : 1/86,400 part of the mean solar day
specifically
: the base unit of time in the International System of Units that is equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium-133 atom
2
: an instant of time : moment
seconded; seconding; seconds
1
a
: to give support or encouragement to : assist
b
: to support (a fighting person or group) in combat : bring up reinforcements for
2
a
: to support or assist in contention or debate
b
: to endorse (a motion or a nomination) so that debate or voting may begin
3
si-ˈkänd 
chiefly British
: to release (someone, such as a military officer) from a regularly assigned position for temporary duty with another unit or organization
chiefly British
: to release (someone, such as a military officer) from a regularly assigned position for temporary duty with another unit or organization
seconder
noun
Synonyms
Examples of second in a Sentence
Adjective
We sat in the second row.
the second house on the left
B is the second letter in the alphabet.
That's the second time I've seen him today.
Chocolate is my first choice; vanilla is my second choice.
The chair needs a second coat of paint.
She plays second violin in the city orchestra.
Verb
I would like to second the motion to adjourn.
“Let's call it a day.” “I'll second that.”
See More
Recent Examples on the WebMeagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
The average daily number of subscribing members excluding individuals with trial memberships for the quarter was 106.9 million, compared to 100.2 million for the same period in 2022 and 110.7 million for the second quarter in 2023.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Flexible grants The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte received a second grant this year after first being awarded $5 million by the fund in 2018.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that Virginia State University in Petersburg will host the second debate of the 2024 general election cycle Oct. 1.
—Isabela Espadas Barros Leal, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023
Here, the makers of Ton share a story that takes a peek inside the London apartment of decorators Benedict Foley and Daniel Slowik—an extract from their second issue, out now.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
Broadway Bound Joined by Jackie, who was eight months pregnant with their second child, the Democratic presidential candidate gave a wave while riding in a ticker-tape parade in lower Broadway during an October 1960 campaign stop in New York City.
—Nancy Mattia, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
Almost fully unraveling in the second half, the Bruins displayed how much work remains to get there.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
The second issue the public had trouble accepting was that there was no explicit reference in Oslo to a settlement freeze.
—Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
Wilshire played the foundational guitar for the co-write, and Kenyon contributed a simple melodic guitar line in the opening seconds that’s easily played on a single string.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2023
The second is to make a more diverse antivenin that can effectively act on a spectrum of snakebites.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Video shows Ricci dropping his keys and a to-go drink and, in seconds, pulling a handgun from his waist and shooting as the men ran away.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
In fact, the large heating element is powerful enough to boil a quart of water in just 101 seconds.
—Laura Denby, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
Simply point and shoot, and a Polaroid-style photo will come out of the camera in just a few seconds.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
At a professional level that can be about 15 seconds.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
Trending Videos 0 seconds of 30 secondsVolume 0% In 2022, more than 75,000 Americans moved to Europe.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023
Gabriel San Román, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers finished second in the AL West and were also a wild card team.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2023
Like other local businesses, Forage has been closed for days as police searched for the man who fatally shot 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley in Maine’s second largest city.
—Jake Blieberg, Patrick Whittle, Holly Ramer, and David Sharp, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2023
Comedy sometimes comes second to make the infotainment, the sugar on the medicine.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2023
The defense, seldom challenged, would notch its ninth shutout, but without a victory or tie from Angel City against Portland, the Wave would finish second.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2023
So far this year, American films accounted for only about 14% of China’s box office, the second largest in the world, according to CNN calculations based on Dengta data.
—Laura He, CNN, 15 Oct. 2023
Formerly the world’s second largest maker of smartphones, the company has been attempting a comeback after being hit by US export restrictions, which were first imposed in 2019.
—Wayne Chang, CNN, 6 Oct. 2023
The Dodgers led the majors with 359 two-out RBIs while ranking second in the National League with 85 two-out homers and 237 two-out walks.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023
Valli Herman, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023
Definitely seconding the recommendation for fresh ground black pepper.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2023
By legging out his 59th double with typical hustle, racing to second on a weakly hit grounder to right-center field, Freeman needs just one more to have the first 60-double season since 1936.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2023
Give pedestrians and cyclists seconds more to get out of the way of a vehicle that outweighs them by thousands of pounds.
—Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
Valletta seconded that recollection in her own video with Vogue from April.
—Emily Kirkpatrick, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023
Board member Julie Henn seconded Domanowski’s motion concerning Frempong.
—Sabrina Leboeuf, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2023
That motion, seconded by Councilmember Rick Robinson, failed on the 2-2 vote.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Oct. 2023
However, common sense, seconded by Miss Manners, counsels against putting too much faith in the power of anesthesia.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
See More
Adjective
Shortly after, his team received the email that he was chosen for her SOS tour’s second North American tour leg.
—Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023
The average daily number of subscribing members excluding individuals with trial memberships for the quarter was 106.9 million, compared to 100.2 million for the same period in 2022 and 110.7 million for the second quarter in 2023.
—Patrick Frater, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023
Flexible grants The Salvation Army of Greater Charlotte received a second grant this year after first being awarded $5 million by the fund in 2018.
—CBS News, 21 Nov. 2023
The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that Virginia State University in Petersburg will host the second debate of the 2024 general election cycle Oct. 1.
—Isabela Espadas Barros Leal, NBC News, 21 Nov. 2023
Here, the makers of Ton share a story that takes a peek inside the London apartment of decorators Benedict Foley and Daniel Slowik—an extract from their second issue, out now.
—Grace McCloud, Vogue, 21 Nov. 2023
Broadway Bound Joined by Jackie, who was eight months pregnant with their second child, the Democratic presidential candidate gave a wave while riding in a ticker-tape parade in lower Broadway during an October 1960 campaign stop in New York City.
—Nancy Mattia, Peoplemag, 21 Nov. 2023
Almost fully unraveling in the second half, the Bruins displayed how much work remains to get there.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
The second issue the public had trouble accepting was that there was no explicit reference in Oslo to a settlement freeze.
—Emily Bazelon, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2023
Noun
The second is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 9 at Fallbrook Airpark, 2155 Air Park Road.
—Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
Wilshire played the foundational guitar for the co-write, and Kenyon contributed a simple melodic guitar line in the opening seconds that’s easily played on a single string.
—Tom Roland, Billboard, 22 Nov. 2023
The second is to make a more diverse antivenin that can effectively act on a spectrum of snakebites.
—Kamala Thiagarajan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2023
Video shows Ricci dropping his keys and a to-go drink and, in seconds, pulling a handgun from his waist and shooting as the men ran away.
—Salvador Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2023
In fact, the large heating element is powerful enough to boil a quart of water in just 101 seconds.
—Laura Denby, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Nov. 2023
Simply point and shoot, and a Polaroid-style photo will come out of the camera in just a few seconds.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
At a professional level that can be about 15 seconds.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
Trending Videos 0 seconds of 30 secondsVolume 0% In 2022, more than 75,000 Americans moved to Europe.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 19 Nov. 2023
Adverb
An additional 228,000 passengers are expected next Sunday — the second busiest day of the holiday week — for the return home.
—Gabriel San Román, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers finished second in the AL West and were also a wild card team.
—Chantz Martin, Fox News, 28 Oct. 2023
Like other local businesses, Forage has been closed for days as police searched for the man who fatally shot 18 people at a bar and a bowling alley in Maine’s second largest city.
—Jake Blieberg, Patrick Whittle, Holly Ramer, and David Sharp, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2023
Comedy sometimes comes second to make the infotainment, the sugar on the medicine.
—Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Oct. 2023
The defense, seldom challenged, would notch its ninth shutout, but without a victory or tie from Angel City against Portland, the Wave would finish second.
—Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Oct. 2023
So far this year, American films accounted for only about 14% of China’s box office, the second largest in the world, according to CNN calculations based on Dengta data.
—Laura He, CNN, 15 Oct. 2023
Formerly the world’s second largest maker of smartphones, the company has been attempting a comeback after being hit by US export restrictions, which were first imposed in 2019.
—Wayne Chang, CNN, 6 Oct. 2023
The Dodgers led the majors with 359 two-out RBIs while ranking second in the National League with 85 two-out homers and 237 two-out walks.
—Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2023
Verb
Advertisement Atwood called co-costume designer Mark Sutherland, who seconded the pricey purchase.
—Valli Herman, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2023
Definitely seconding the recommendation for fresh ground black pepper.
—Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2023
By legging out his 59th double with typical hustle, racing to second on a weakly hit grounder to right-center field, Freeman needs just one more to have the first 60-double season since 1936.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2023
Give pedestrians and cyclists seconds more to get out of the way of a vehicle that outweighs them by thousands of pounds.
—Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023
Valletta seconded that recollection in her own video with Vogue from April.
—Emily Kirkpatrick, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2023
Board member Julie Henn seconded Domanowski’s motion concerning Frempong.
—Sabrina Leboeuf, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2023
That motion, seconded by Councilmember Rick Robinson, failed on the 2-2 vote.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Oct. 2023
However, common sense, seconded by Miss Manners, counsels against putting too much faith in the power of anesthesia.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'second.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English, from Anglo-French secund, from Latin secundus second, following, favorable, from sequi to follow — more at sue
Noun (2)
Middle English secounde, from Medieval Latin secunda, from Latin, feminine of secundus second; from its being the second sexagesimal division of a unit, as a minute is the first
Verb
Latin secundare, from secundus second, favorable
First Known Use
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adverb
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
circa 1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of second was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing second
Dictionary Entries Near second
Cite this Entry
“Second.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
1
: being number two in a series see number
2
a
: next to the first in time, order, importance, or rank
second violin
second place
b
: other entry 1 sense 2
elects a mayor every second year
c
: resembling or suggesting an original : another
a second Shakespeare
second
adverb
secondly
adverb
second
2 of 4 noun1
a
: one that is number two in a series see number
b
: one next after the first in time, order, importance, or rank
2
: one who assists another (as in a duel or prizefight)
3
: the difference in pitch between the first tone and the second tone of a scale
4
: a damaged or imperfect article (as of merchandise)
5
: the act of seconding a motion
6
7
: the second gear or speed in an automobile
8
plural
: a second helping of food
second
3 of 4 noun1
a
: the 60th part of a minute of angular measure
b
: the 60th part of a minute of time
especially
: the international unit of time related to the period of the radiation corresponding to a change between the two levels of the ground state of a particular isotope of the cesium atom
2
: instant entry 1, moment
I'll be back in a second
second
4 of 4 verb1
: to give support or encouragement to : assist
2
: to encourage that something be debated or voted on
second a motion
seconder
noun
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English second "next to the first in position, order, or time," from early French secund (same meaning), from Latin secundus "second, following, favorable," from sequi "to follow" — related to sequel
Noun
Middle English secounde "the 60th part of a minute," from Latin secunda (same meaning), derived from earlier secundus (adjective) "second (in order), following, favorable"; so called from the fact that the minute is the first level of division of a degree or hour and this is the second level
Verb
from Latin secundare "to give support to, assist," from secundus (adjective) "second, following, favorable"
More from Merriam-Webster on second
Nglish: Translation of second for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of second for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about second
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