Definition of secondary
1a : of second rank, importance, or valueb : of, relating to, or constituting the second strongest of the three or four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists the fourth syllable of basketball team carries secondary stressc of a tense : expressive of past time
2a : immediately derived from something original, primary, or basicb : of, relating to, or being the induced current or its circuit in an induction coil or transformer secondary voltagec : characterized by or resulting from the substitution of two atoms or groups in a molecule a secondary salt; especially : being, characterized by, or attached to a carbon atom having bonds to two other carbon atomsd (1) : not first in order of occurrence or development (2) : dependent or consequent on another disease or condition secondary hypertension (3) : produced by activity of formative tissue and especially cambium other than that at a growing point secondary growth secondary phloem
3a : of, relating to, or being the second order or stage in a seriesb : of, relating to, or being the second segment of the wing of a bird or the quills of this segmentc : of or relating to a secondary school secondary education
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Examples of secondary in a Sentence
Winning is secondary—we play for the fun of the sport.
There are some secondary issues which must be taken into account as well.
I want a car that's reliable; the color is of secondary importance.
The secondary roads are indicated on the map with a green line.
Better gas mileage is a secondary benefit of reduced speed limits.
Recent Examples of secondary from the Web
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In poor countries only a quarter of secondary schoolchildren acquire at least a basic knowledge of maths, reading and science.
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The biggest question about the Huskies is the secondary, where Miller and redshirt freshman Byron Murphy are expected to take over as the starting cornerbacks.
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At 6 feet and 190 pounds, Leonard is similar in size to junior Carlton Davis (6-1, 203) and redshirt sophomore Jamel Dean (6-2, 215), a pair of rangy, physical cornerbacks in Auburn's secondary.
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The post-secondary scholarship winners included Adrian Le Donne and Wander Ramos of George T. Baker Aviation Technical College; Christelle D’Haiti, Anissa Belfort and Ariel Ebanks of Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center.
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Results and limitations Two secondary comparisons were also made.
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This time the explanations came from fellow-liberals who admired the American exception, which is how the phrase acquired its secondary and more positive meaning.
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To complement the white flowers, most royal brides incorporate green as their secondary color.
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After a wave of negative press seized Uber over the past few months, the company’s valuation fell by several billion dollars on the secondary markets.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'secondary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of secondary
14th century
secondary
Definition of secondary
secondaries
1 : one occupying a subordinate or auxiliary position rather than that of a principal
2 : a defensive football backfield
3 : the coil through which the secondary current passes in an induction coil or transformer —called also secondary coil
4 : any of the quill feathers of the forearm of a bird — see wing illustration
Examples of secondary in a Sentence
The team has a strong secondary.
Recent Examples of secondary from the Web
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After spending the last six weeks with draft picks Teez Tabor and Jamal Agnew, Oden, now the Detroit Lions cornerbacks coach, said his young cornerbacks would have fit right in with those old West Point secondaries in terms of their intelligence.
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Poyer is expected to team with former Green Bay Packers safety Micah Hyde - who signed a free agent deal - to give the Bills two new safeties - replacing Aaron Williams and Corey Graham - in the defensive secondary.
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The Cowboys have a young secondary, using four draft picks to replenish their secondary in this year’s draft.
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A year after their youth movement in the secondary led to some long Sundays, the Panthers went with an old-school approach on defense.
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The Buccaneers secondary is filled with four Division I prospects, evident by their impressive offer list, and Benn has emerged as one of the best.
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Henderson is a big-play threat with a little Emmanuel Sanders in him, and Langley is a long-but-raw corner who should fit right into their aggressive secondary.
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The Huskies secondary saw three members — cornerbacks Kevin King and Jones and safety Budda Baker — taken in the first 11 picks.
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CBSSports.com: Grade B. The Ravens' secondary was a weak spot last season, and general manager Ozzie Newsome spent the offseason upgrading the unit.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'secondary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of secondary
15th century
SECONDARY Defined for English Language Learners
secondary
playDefinition of secondary for English Language Learners
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: not as important or valuable as something else
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: of or relating to education of students who have completed primary school
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: caused by or coming from something else
secondary
Definition of secondary for English Language Learners
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American football : the players on the defense who are positioned away from the line of scrimmage and who mainly try to stop forward passes by the offense
SECONDARY Defined for Kids
secondary
playDefinition of secondary for Students
1 : second in rank, value, or importance We need to find water. Food is secondary.
2 : derived from or coming after something original or primary a secondary effect
3 : relating to secondary school a secondary education
4 : relating to or being the second of three levels of stress in pronunciation
Medical Dictionary
secondary
playMedical Definition of secondary
1: not first in order of occurrence or development: asa: dependent or consequent on another disease secondary diabetes Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet feverb: occurring or being in the second stage secondary symptoms of syphilisc: occurring some time after the original injury a secondary hemorrhage
2: characterized by or resulting from the substitution of two atoms or groups in a molecule a secondary salt; especially : being, characterized by, or attached to a carbon atom having bonds to two other carbon atoms
3: relating to or being the three-dimensional coiling of the polypeptide chain of a protein especially in the form of an alpha-helix—compare primary 4, tertiary 2c
Law Dictionary
secondary
playLegal Definition of secondary
1 : of second rank, status, importance, or value
2 : derived from something original or primary
3 : of, relating to, or being the second order or stage in a series
Learn More about secondary
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for secondary Spanish Central: Translation of secondary Nglish: Translation of secondary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of secondary for Arabic speakers
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