secondary
/ˈsɛkənˌdɛɹi/adjective, noun
secondary is spelled S-E-C-O-N-D-A-R-Y: 9 letters and 4 syllables. It appears 34 times per million words in written English, the 2,831st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, secondary means “Next in order to the first or primary; of second place in origin, rank, etc” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in secondary?
| Letters | 9: S-E-C-O-N-D-A-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 34 times per million words; the 2,831st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is secondary?
Secondary appears 34 times per million words in written English, the 2,831st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce secondary?
- UK /ˈsɛkənd(ə)ɹɪ/
- US /ˈsɛkənˌdɛɹi/
Secondary has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-secondary.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of secondary
- more secondary comparative
- most secondary superlative
- secondaries plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does secondary mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Next in order to the first or primary; of second place in origin, rank, etc.
- 2
Originating from a deputy or delegated person or body.
the work of secondary hands
- 3
Derived from a parent compound by replacement of two atoms of hydrogen by organic radicals.
- 4
Produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rock mass.
- 5
Developed by pressure or other causes.
secondary cleavage
- 6
Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
- 7
Dependent or consequent upon another disease, or occurring in the second stage of a disease.
Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever.
- 8
Of less than primary importance.
a secondary issue
noun
- 1
Any flight feather attached to the ulna (forearm) of a bird.
- 2
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.
- 3
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.
- 4
An act of issuing more stock by an already publicly traded corporation.
- 5
The defensive backs.
- 6
An inductive coil or loop that is magnetically powered by a primary in a transformer or similar.
- 7
One who occupies a subordinate or auxiliary place; a delegate deputy.
the secondary, or undersheriff, of the city of London
- 8
A secondary circle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Secondary in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | secondaire |
| German | sekundär , Armschwinge |
| Portuguese | secundário |
| Spanish | secundario , suplente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does secondary come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).