Secondary — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun /ˈse-kən-ˌder-ē/ sec·ond·ary

Meaning & Definition of Secondary

Secondary (adjective)

  1. of second rank, importance, or value
  2. of, relating to, or constituting the second strongest of the three or four degrees of stress recognized by most linguists
  3. expressive of past time

Secondary (noun)

  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

Secondary (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. taken or created from something original or basic

    "history textbooks are secondary sources for historical information and do not represent original research"

    similar: derivative, secondhand
    related: unoriginal, consequent, resultant
    opposite: basic, original
    near: fundamental, nonderivative, first, primary

  2. of little or less value or merit

    "we need to focus on getting the groceries bought and the rent paid—everything else is secondary"

    similar: inferior, mean, minor, second-class, second-rate
    related: junior, lesser, lower, low-level, petty, smaller, subordinate, under, average, common, fair, middling, ordinary, amiss, bad, defective, unsatisfactory, wrong, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, unacceptable, littler, slighter, jerkwater, low-rent, one-horse, small-time, two-bit
    opposite: greater, higher, superior
    near: major, more, primary, senior, choice, exceptional, first-class, first-rate, high-grade, premium, prime, select, selected, acceptable, adequate, sufficient

Secondary (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in subject, junior

    similar: dependent, inferior, junior, subject, subordinate, underling
    opposite: boss, boss man, captain, chief, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, honcho, jefe, kingpin, leader, master, taskmaster, directress, mistress, administrator, commander, director, executive, general, governor, hierarch, higher-up

Related Entry: Secondary color (noun)

Secondary color is a different word from Secondary. The synonyms below are for secondary color, not for secondary.

  1. as in primary color, tertiary color

    similar: primary color, tertiary color, overtone, undertone, brightness, chroma, chromaticity, contrast, lightness, saturation, value, cast, color, hue, shade, tincture, tinge, tint, tone, coloration, coloring, colorway, pigmentation
    opposite: achromatism

Related Entry: Secondary colors (noun)

Secondary colors is a different word from Secondary. The synonyms below are for secondary colors, not for secondary.

  1. as in primary colors, tertiary colors

    similar: primary colors, tertiary colors, overtones, undertones, chromas, chromaticities, contrasts, saturations, values, casts, colors, hues, shades, tinctures, tinges, tints, tones, colorations, colorings, colorways, pigmentations
    opposite: achromatisms

Related Entry: Secondary road (noun)

Secondary road is a different word from Secondary. The synonyms below are for secondary road, not for secondary.

  1. as in side street, side road

    similar: backstreet, branch, bystreet, byway, crossroad, shunpike, side road, side street, arterial, artery, avenue, boulevard, carriageway (British), drag, drive, expressway, freeway, high road, highway, pass, pike, road, roadway, row, street, thoroughfare, thruway, trace, turnpike, way, corridor, corniche, switchback, track, trail

Related Entry: Secondary roads (noun)

Secondary roads is a different word from Secondary. The synonyms below are for secondary roads, not for secondary.

  1. as in side streets, side roads

    similar: backstreets, branches, bystreets, byways, crossroads, shunpikes, side roads, side streets, arterials, arteries, avenues, boulevards, carriageways (British), drags, drives, expressways, freeways, high roads, highways, passes, pike, roads, roadways, rows, streets, thoroughfares, thruways, traces, turnpikes, ways, corridors, corniches, switchbacks, tracks, trails

Related Entry: Secondary school (noun)

Secondary school is a different word from Secondary. The synonyms below are for secondary school, not for secondary.

  1. as in high school, public school

    similar: common school, elementary school, grammar school, high school, junior high school, kindergarten, middle school, primary school, public school, senior high school, trade school, training school, academe, academy, school, seminary, boarding school, prep, preparatory school, prep school, charter school, magnet school, minischool, madrassa, Sunday school, yeshiva

Related Entry: Secondary schools (noun)

Secondary schools is a different word from Secondary. The synonyms below are for secondary schools, not for secondary.

  1. as in high schools, public schools

    similar: common schools, elementary schools, grammar schools, high schools, junior high schools, kindergartens, middle schools, primary schools, public schools, senior high schools, trade schools, training schools, academes, academies, schools, seminaries, boarding schools, preparatory schools, preps, prep schools, charter schools, magnet schools, minischools, madrassas, Sunday schools, yeshivas

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Secondary

The most common words with a similar meaning to Secondary:

derivative, secondhand, inferior, mean, minor, second-class, second-rate, dependent, junior, subject, subordinate, underling

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Secondary

Words with the opposite meaning of Secondary:

basic, original, greater, higher, superior, boss, boss man, captain, chief, foreman, head, headman, helmsman, honcho, jefe, kingpin, leader, master, taskmaster, directress, mistress, administrator, commander, director, executive, general, governor, hierarch, higher-up

Related Words for Secondary

unoriginal, consequent, resultant, lesser, lower, low-level, petty, smaller, under, average, common, fair, middling, ordinary, amiss, bad, defective, unsatisfactory, wrong, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, unacceptable, littler, slighter, jerkwater, low-rent, one-horse, small-time, two-bit

Near Antonyms of Secondary

fundamental, nonderivative, first, primary, major, more, senior, choice, exceptional, first-class, first-rate, high-grade, premium, prime, select, selected, acceptable, adequate, sufficient

Word Forms of Secondary

Inflections: secondaries

Derived words: secondarily (adverb), secondariness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Secondary

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Secondary

Words & Phrases Containing Secondary

secondary care, secondary cell, secondary color, secondary emission, secondary radiation, secondary road, secondary root, secondary school

Frequently Asked Questions about Secondary

What does "Secondary" mean?

"Secondary" means of second rank, importance, or value. As an an adjective and a noun, it is defined as: of second rank, importance, or value. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Secondary"?

Other words for "Secondary" include derivative, secondhand, inferior, mean, minor, second-class, second-rate and dependent. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Secondary" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Secondary"?

There are 42 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Secondary". Common alternatives include derivative, secondhand, inferior, mean, minor, second-class, second-rate, dependent, junior and subject.

What is the opposite of "Secondary"?

Antonyms of "Secondary" include basic, original, greater, higher, superior, boss, boss man and captain. Near antonyms include fundamental, nonderivative, first and primary.

How do you use "Secondary" in a sentence?

Examples of "Secondary" in a sentence: "history textbooks are secondary sources for historical information and do not represent original research"; "we need to focus on getting the groceries bought and the rent paid—everything else is secondary".

Is "Secondary" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Secondary" can be used as an adjective and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Secondary" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Secondary" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Secondary"?

"Secondary" is pronounced /ˈse-kən-ˌder-ē/ and divided into syllables as sec·ond·ary.