second

1 of 5

adjective

sec·​ond ˈse-kənd How to pronounce second (audio)
 also  -kənt,
 especially before a consonant  -kən,
-kᵊŋ How to pronounce second (audio)
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
d
: alternate, other
elects a mayor every second year
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

second

2 of 5

noun (1)

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

second

3 of 5

adverb

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
2
: before all others with one exception
the nation's second largest city
They are my second favorite band.

second

4 of 5

noun (2)

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

second

5 of 5

verb

seconded; seconding; seconds

transitive verb

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 How to pronounce second (audio) 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

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.”
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Rice, who missed the 2022-23 season because of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was the engine behind WSU’s stunning rise to second place in the Pac-12. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 In her bid for a second term, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman pulled above 50% for the first time since vote counting began in last week’s primary election, increasing her prospects of avoiding a Nov. 5 runoff. David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 But a maintenance problem in that helicopter led them to delay the evacuation by a day and required Mills to find a second one, McClain said. Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 The documentary series, hosted by advocate Hilarie Burton Morgan, returns with its second season on SundanceTV, AMC+ and Sundance Now, on April 18 at 10 p.m. ET. Emily Longeretta, Variety, 13 Mar. 2024 To address this crisis, some in Congress saw in the aftermath of this nation’s deadliest war the opportunity — but also the necessity — for a second founding that would eliminate the system of racial slavery that had been its cause. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 Holding a 2-0 advantage going into the second leg of Tuesday’s quarterfinal, Al-Hilal almost fell behind when Romarinho hit the post in the first half. George Ramsay, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Martins chose to receive his second prize in the form of a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 Because Trump had already been found liable in the first trial—based on substantially similar comments to the 2019 lawsuit—the second Carroll trial was only to determine how much Trump had to pay in damages. Alison Durkee, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Back in December, White told Variety that The Bear’s third season will likely be closer in tone to the first season than its second, which focused less on the inner workings of the kitchen and more on the buildout of the restaurant. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2024 When drivers aren’t keeping their eyes on the road, the IIHS says ADAS systems should send out visible and audible alerts within 10 seconds, and initiate an emergency slowdown system within 20 seconds. Popular Science, 13 Mar. 2024 This whole process should take three to five seconds, said Erin Acheson, vice president of marketing for ZeroEyes. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 12 Mar. 2024 McNabb had Diggs picked off, but the throw to second from first baseman Taylor Howell hit Diggs' helmet and skirted into left field. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 2 Mar. 2024 Prosecutors said Britt Reid was driving 83 mph two seconds before the collision and had a serum blood alcohol content of 0.113 about two hours after the crash. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 2 Mar. 2024 Minnesota had a chance to tie the game with a Naz Reid 3 with 10.0 seconds remaining. Chris Biderman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 Four heats created a leaderboard that culminated in a final round, with each race only lasting around 90 seconds. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 What To Watch For The Fed’s policy-setting Open Markets Committee will next meet March 19-20, its second of eight meetings this year. Derek Saul, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Adverb
Italy’s relationship with China illustrates the strong push and pull that the world’s second largest economy exerts on global geopolitics. Mary Hui, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Metro Phoenix has emerged as the nation’s second largest hub of data centers, according to a recent study by Cushman & Wakefield. The Arizona Republic, 14 Mar. 2024 In Bavaria, the AfD came second in the October elections, giving it the right to appoint two honorary judges to the southern state’s constitutional court. Erika Solomon, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The second biggest group of contributors to Schiff have been lawyers and law firms, at $1.7 million. David Lightman, Sacramento Bee, 2 Mar. 2024 Dozens of major developers have defaulted on their debt, with Evergrande, once the country’s second largest homebuilder, ordered to liquidate last month. Laura He, CNN, 20 Feb. 2024 Nearly every bank issues a credit card to customers but few companies are credit card companies first, and banks second. Ken Sweet, Fortune, 20 Feb. 2024 The AfD is not currently part of the government federally or in any of the German states, but the party has been gaining support and is currently polling second nationwide at around 20 percent of the vote. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Feb. 2024 The venue purports to be the tallest and second largest bar by square footage on Lower Broadway. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 7 Feb. 2024
Verb
Council President Paul Krekorian and Councilmember Traci Park seconded the motion. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 David seconded that, citing as an example a recent seat-making operation in Mesa by Hyundai Transys. The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024 Kinsey, who played Angela, enthusiastically seconded the notion. Kevin Dolak, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2024 Hutt’s motion, which was seconded by Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, came in the wake of extensive damage to the 6th Street Viaduct, which is in De León’s district, after thieves stole a third of the structure’s copper wires. Angie Orellana Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 27 Jan. 2024 These poles are not fancy or flashy, but will get the job done with your best snowshoes or skis, and can second as a pair of hiking poles. Lindsey Lapointe, Field & Stream, 4 Jan. 2024 In a statement, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan seconded those concerns. Scott Dance The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 6 Feb. 2024 To emphasize that the MDC will remain a closed shop fueled by favors, Wethersfield Democrat Andrew Adil seconded Currey’s nomination. Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 13 Jan. 2024 Fellow wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk seconded the notion. Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2024

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

Dictionary Entries Near second

Cite this Entry

“Second.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/second. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

second

1 of 4 adjective
sec·​ond ˈsek-ənd How to pronounce second (audio)
also
-ənt How to pronounce second (audio)
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 noun
1
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 noun
1
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 verb
1
: 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"

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