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Added 9 October 2026

secondary

/ˈsɛkənd(ə)ɹɪ/ adjective

Latin root: secundārius Wiktionary

adjective Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about secondary at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Next in order to the first or primary; of second place in origin, rank, etc.
Originating from a deputy or delegated person or body.
the work of secondary hands
Derived from a parent compound by replacement of two atoms of hydrogen by organic radicals.

noun

Any flight feather attached to the ulna (forearm) of a bird.
A radar return generated by the response of an aircraft's transponder to an interrogation signal broadcast by a radar installation, containing additional encoded identification and situational data not available from a simple primary return.
The second stage of a multistage thermonuclear weapon, which generates a fusion explosion when imploded as an indirect result of the fission explosion of the primary, and which, in a few extremely large weapons, itself implodes a fusion tertiary.

Origin

From Middle English secundarie, from Latin secundārius (“of the second class or quality”), from secundus (whence the English second) + -ārius (whence the English suffix -ary), equivalent to second + -ary; compare the French secondaire, the Italian secondario, the Occitan secundari, the Portuguese secundario, and the Spanish secundario.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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