1
as in derivative
taken or created from something original or basic
history textbooks are secondary sources for historical information and do not represent original research
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in minor
of little or less value or merit
we need to focus on getting the groceries bought and the rent paid—everything else is secondary
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in dependent
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of secondary
Pete Sampson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Directly underneath are two drawers large enough to store board games, puzzles, and books, and there’s a secondary shelf at the base that can house blankets and extra pillows.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Loop's miss bailed out a poor performance by the Pittsburgh secondary, which allowed a pair of long touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and then a 26-yard heave in the final seconds that put the Ravens in position to win.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for secondary
Adjective
Leonard Moore appears to be a surefire first-round pick a year from now, while the rest of the starting secondary could also project at the next level.
—Pete Sampson, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Directly underneath are two drawers large enough to store board games, puzzles, and books, and there’s a secondary shelf at the base that can house blankets and extra pillows.
—Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026
Noun
The answer to that question Sunday night was an emphatic yes, and they were aided by an excellent secondary that shut down the Chargers’ wide receiver trio of Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 12 Jan. 2026
Loop's miss bailed out a poor performance by the Pittsburgh secondary, which allowed a pair of long touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and then a 26-yard heave in the final seconds that put the Ravens in position to win.
—CBS News, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for secondary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for secondary
Adjective
-
The hemp industry arose from the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized non-intoxicating hemp, but also allowed intoxicating derivative cannabinoids such as delta-8-, delta-9 and delta-10 THC.—
Robert McCoppin,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
What remains are delta-neutral derivative strategies.—
Alexander S. Blume,
Forbes.com,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Although not a major concern, some minor coastal flooding and beach erosion are possible along the coastline as well.—
Matthew Villafane,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
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Another person was critically injured, five had serious injuries and eight had minor injuries, officials said.—
Dave Collins,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Courts also consider household size, marital status, dependents and regional cost-of-living differences.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Now that Rosalinda and Manuel were expecting to live in Mexico starting next year, Ana was claiming Lily as a financial dependent so that Lily would still be eligible for in-state tuition and federal financial aid.—
Jordan Salama,
New Yorker,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The market was once concerned that ChatGPT creator OpenAI would threaten the Google parent’s dominant search business, and that its own AI technology was inferior.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Recent immigrants are naturally inferior Americans, if they are considered American at all.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Labor Department inspector general's office has interviewed staff in connection with the investigation, which followed a complaint that Chavez-DeRemer was having an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and abusing her office.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Quarterbacks who have attained a certain status understandably don’t want to start over as subordinates, be assigned grunt work and wait in line for promotions.—
Dan Pompei,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Three juniors and two sophomores have been starting since junior guard Danijel Zekavica suffered a torn ACL at the beginning of the season.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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Murphy was the Big 12's defensive lineman of the year in 2023, helping lead the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff for the first time as a junior.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Investing in stocks with low valuations or those trading considerably below their peak values while still maintaining strong margins affords investors the chance to benefit from mean reversion and potential re-rating of valuations.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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Cressida Cowper Regal mean girl and Eloise's unlikely friend-match Cressida Cowper is around 23 years old in season 3, 22 in season 2, and 21 in season 1.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The sensor can record long and short exposures simultaneously, improving sharpness when subjects move.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Jan. 2026
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The addition of those provisions, the lawsuit argues, violated a requirement in the Missouri Constitution that laws only deal with one subject.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Secondary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/secondary. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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