secondary

secondary — adjective

1. not as important or serious as something else that you are comparing it with

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

not as important or serious as something else that you are comparing it with

Example

Ritu thought the colour of the car was secondary to its fuel efficiency.

pattern: secondary to [noun] — less important than

For the volunteers, public recognition was secondary to actually helping people.

Common collocations
  • secondary concern
  • secondary issue
  • secondary role
  • secondary importance
  • of secondary significance
  • secondary to
Synonyms
  • minor

    suggests something is small or unimportant; 'secondary' focuses on a comparison with a main thing

  • subsidiary

    more formal; suggests being under the control of or less important than a larger entity

  • subordinate

    suggests a lower rank in a hierarchy; more formal than 'secondary'

Antonyms
  • primary

    most important; the direct opposite of secondary

  • main

    less formal than 'primary'; the central thing in a situation

Grammar Patterns

secondary to [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Often used in the pattern 'secondary to [something]' to show what the main thing is. Can appear both before a noun (a secondary issue) and after a linking verb (the issue was secondary).

Common Mistakes

I finished secondary in the race.
I finished second in the race.
'secondary' means less important, not the position after first.
She gave me a secondary chance.
She gave me a second chance.
'secondary' does not mean 'second in order'; use 'second' for sequence.

2. coming from or happening after something that existed or occurred first, and dep

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

coming from or happening after something that existed or occurred first, and depending on it

Example

The patient developed a secondary infection after the surgery.

medical: secondary infection — follows another illness or treatment

Historians often use secondary sources such as journal articles and textbooks.

academic: secondary sources — written by people who did not witness the event

Common collocations
  • secondary infection
  • secondary source
  • secondary symptom
  • secondary effect
  • secondary data
  • secondary consequence
Synonyms
  • derived

    more technical; often used in academic contexts to describe something traced back to an original

  • resulting

    focuses on cause and effect; less formal than 'secondary'

  • subsequent

    simply means 'coming after' without implying dependence

Antonyms
  • primary

    original, first-hand; the direct opposite in both medical and academic contexts

  • original

    existing from the beginning, not derived from something else

Grammar Patterns

secondary + noun (medical term)

secondary + noun (academic term)

Usage Note

Common in medicine (secondary infection, secondary symptom) and in academic research (secondary source, secondary data). In both fields, it describes something that follows from and depends on something earlier.

Common Mistakes

I used a secondary source to describe my own experiment.
I used a secondary source to analyse historical events.
a secondary source interprets or comments on primary sources; it is not a direct record.

3. connected with schools or classes for young people who are roughly eleven to eig

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

connected with schools or classes for young people who are roughly eleven to eighteen years old

Example

Hamza started secondary school when he was eleven years old.

collocation: secondary school

The government has increased funding for secondary education across the country.

collocation: secondary education

Common collocations
  • secondary school
  • secondary education
  • secondary student
  • secondary teacher
  • secondary level
  • secondary curriculum
Synonyms
  • high school (US)

    the main American term for secondary school; covers grades 9–12, roughly ages 14–18

Antonyms
  • primary

    relating to the first stage of school, typically for children aged 5–11

Grammar Patterns

secondary + school / education / student / teacher

Usage Note

Only used before a noun. In British English, secondary school covers ages 11–16 or 11–18. In American English, the equivalent stage is usually called high school (ages 14–18), with middle school or junior high (ages 11–14) sometimes included in the broader concept of secondary education.

Common Mistakes

My son is in secondary school at age five.
My son is in primary school at age five.
secondary education starts around age eleven.

secondary — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something of lower rank or importance, but they differ in nuance. 'Secondary' directly compares something to a main or primary item — it is less important only in relation to something else that is primary (e.g., 'cost was secondary to safety'). 'Minor' suggests something is small or unimportant in absolute terms, not just in comparison (e.g., 'a minor problem'). 'Subsidiary' implies being under the control of or supporting a larger entity, often used in business contexts (e.g., 'a subsidiary company'). 'Subordinate' refers to rank in a hierarchy, usually about people or roles (e.g., 'a subordinate officer'). For everyday comparison of importance, 'secondary' and 'minor' are the most common. 'Safety was the main concern; cost played only a secondary role.' — 'The car had a minor scratch, nothing serious.'

minor ↗subsidiary ↗subordinate ↗secondary ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • secondary concern
  • secondary issue
  • secondary source
  • secondary infection
  • secondary school
  • secondary education

Phrases

  • play a secondary role
  • be of secondary importance
  • a matter of secondary concern

Prepositions

  • secondary to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'secondary' comes from Latin 'secundarius', meaning 'of the second class or rank'. This was formed from 'secundus', which meant 'second, following', and that came from 'sequi', meaning 'to follow'. The idea is that something secondary follows after the primary or first thing. The sense of 'secondary school' (education for older children) began to be used in the late 1800s as school systems organized into primary and secondary stages.