Secundary vs. Secondary — Which is Correct Spelling?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on March 21, 2024
"Secundary" is an incorrect spelling, while "Secondary" is the correct form, referring to the second in order or importance.
Table of Contents
Which is correct: Secundary or Secondary
How to spell Secondary?
Secundary
Incorrect Spelling
Secondary
Correct Spelling
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Key Differences
Remember the phrase: "First is primary, next is secondary."
Think of "secondary school" as the school after primary.
"Secundary" has an unnecessary "u" which you can skip.
Remember "second" as a base, and add "-ary" to form "Secondary."
Associate "Secondary" with "second-hand," meaning not primary or original.
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How Do You Spell Secondary Correctly?
Incorrect: We need to focus on our primary goals and not get distracted by secundary issues.
Correct: We need to focus on our primary goals and not get distracted by secondary issues.
Incorrect: His secundary education was completed at a local high school.
Correct: His secondary education was completed at a local high school.
Incorrect: The issue is of secundary importance compared to the immediate crisis.
Correct: The issue is of secondary importance compared to the immediate crisis.
Incorrect: She plays a secundary role in the play.
Correct: She plays a secondary role in the play.
Incorrect: The secundary effects of the medication include dizziness and fatigue.
Correct: The secondary effects of the medication include dizziness and fatigue.
Secondary Definitions
Coming after, less important than, or resulting from someone or something else that is primary.
His secondary concerns were less pressing than the immediate crisis.
Pertaining to the second in order or rank.
The secondary effects of the drug are less severe.
Second or lower in rank or importance; not primary
Concerns that are secondary.
Not of major importance;
Played a secondary role in world events
Following what is first in time or sequence
Secondary fermentation.
Referring to secondary color obtained by mixing primary colors.
Green is a secondary color derived from blue and yellow.
Relating to education for students approximately between the ages of 11 and 16.
She works as a teacher in a secondary school.
Relating to or denoting the organic compounds containing carbon atoms bonded to two hydrocarbon groups.
A secondary alcohol has the OH group on a secondary carbon atom.
Of or relating to secondary schools.
Derived from what is primary or original
Literary criticism viewed as secondary to literature itself.
Not immediate or direct
A secondary source of information.
Of, relating to, or being the shorter flight feathers projecting along the inner edge of a bird's wing.
(Electricity) Having an induced current that is generated by an inductively coupled primary. Used of a circuit or coil.
Relating to, or having a carbon atom that is attached to two other carbon atoms in a molecule.
Relating to the replacement of two of several atoms or groups in a compound, such as an amine in which two valences of the functional group are taken by carbon atoms.
(Geology) Produced from another mineral by decay or alteration.
Of or relating to a secondary color or colors.
Being a degree of health care intermediate between primary care and tertiary care, as that typically offered at a community hospital.
(Botany) Of, relating to, or derived from a lateral meristem, especially a cambium.
One that acts in an auxiliary, subordinate, or inferior capacity.
One of the shorter flight feathers projecting along the inner edge of a bird's wing.
(Electricity) A coil or circuit having an induced current.
(Astronomy) A celestial body that orbits another; a satellite.
The dimmer star of a binary star.
A secondary color.
(Football) The defensive backfield.
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
(organic chemistry) Derived from a parent compound by replacement of two atoms of hydrogen by organic radicals
(geology) Produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rock mass.
(geology) Developed by pressure or other causes.
Secondary cleavage
(anatomy) Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
(medicine) Dependent or consequent upon another disease, or occurring in the second stage of a disease.
Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever.
The secondary symptoms of syphilis
Of less than primary importance.
A secondary issue
(education) Related to secondary education, i.e. schooling between the ages of (approximately) 11 and 18.
(manufacturing) Relating to the manufacture of goods from raw materials.
(of a color) Formed by mixing primary colors.
Yellow is a secondary light color, though a primary CMYK color.
Representing a reversion to an ancestral state.
(ornithology) Any flight feather attached to the ulna (forearm) of a bird.
(aviation) 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.
(military) 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.
(finance) An act of issuing more stock by an already publicly traded corporation.
The defensive backs.
(electronics) An inductive coil or loop that is magnetically powered by a primary in a transformer or similar.
One who occupies a subordinate or auxiliary place; a delegate deputy.
The secondary, or undersheriff, of the city of London
(astronomy) A secondary circle.
(astronomy) A satellite.
(education) A secondary school.
There are four secondaries in this district, each with several thousand pupils.
Anything secondary or of lesser importance.
Succeeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, etc.; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate.
Wheresoever there is moral right on the one hand, no secondary right can discharge it.
Two are the radical differences; the secondary differences are as four.
Acting by deputation or delegated authority; as, the work of secondary hands.
Possessing some quality, or having been subject to some operation (as substitution), in the second degree; as, a secondary salt, a secondary amine, etc. Cf. primary.
Subsequent in origin; - said of minerals produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rock mass; also of characters of minerals (as secondary cleavage, etc.) developed by pressure or other causes.
Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
Dependent or consequent upon another disease; as, Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever.
One who occupies a subordinate, inferior, or auxiliary place; a delegate or deputy; one who is second or next to the chief officer; as, the secondary, or undersheriff of the city of London.
Old Escalus . . . is thy secondary.
A secondary circle.
A secondary quill.
The defensive football players who line up behind the linemen
Coil such that current is induced in it by passing a current through the primary coil
Of second rank or importance or value; not direct or immediate;
The stone will be hauled to a secondary crusher
A secondary source
A secondary issue
Secondary streams
Inferior in rank or status;
Depending on or incidental to what is original or primary;
A secondary infection
Belonging to a lower class or rank
Secondary Meaning in a Sentence
Injuries were a secondary concern after the earthquake.
He's considering a secondary career as a writer.
The secondary market for tickets can be expensive.
Secondary education follows primary education.
The secondary characters in the novel are very well developed.
The secondary outcome of the study will be published next year.
Secondary research involves the summary, collation, and synthesis of existing research.
Secondary symptoms of the disease may appear later.
The secondary effects of the drug are under investigation.
Secondary sources include books and articles about historical events.
The phone's camera has a secondary lens for wide-angle shots.
The company's secondary objective is to expand internationally.
Secondary roads can be less crowded than highways.
Environmental protection is not a secondary issue.
Her role in the project is secondary to her main job.
Achieving a secondary diploma can open many doors.
Secondary packaging is used for branding and information.
A secondary benefit of exercise is improved mood.
A secondary infection can complicate recovery from surgery.
The secondary coil in the transformer increases the voltage.
Secondary growth occurs in plants and leads to an increase in thickness.
Secondary data analysis can save time in research.
The secondary sector of the economy includes manufacturing.
Secondary colors are created by mixing primary colors.
The asteroid impact had severe secondary effects on the environment.
Secondary Idioms & Phrases
Secondary to none
Being the best or most important in a secondary category.
Her skills as a graphic designer are secondary to none in her department.
Secondary source
Information that has been compiled from primary sources.
Historians often rely on secondary sources for their research.
Secondary concern
An issue that is considered less important than the primary one.
For the team, winning is the goal; everything else is a secondary concern.
Secondary role
A part that is not the leading or main role.
She accepted a secondary role in the film for the chance to work with the director.
Secondary market
A market where securities or goods are traded after their initial sale.
He bought his concert tickets on the secondary market.
Secondary income
Additional earnings aside from the primary source of income.
Freelancing provides him with a secondary income.
Secondary effects
Consequences or results that are not the primary outcome.
The medication's secondary effects include mild nausea.
Secondary education
Education that follows primary or elementary education, often including high school.
Secondary education is crucial for career development.
Common Curiosities
What is the root word of Secondary?
The root word is "second."
What is the verb form of Secondary?
There isn't a direct verb form of "secondary." However, one can "relegate" something to a secondary status.
What is the pronunciation of Secondary?
/ˈsɛk.ənˌdɛr.i/
What is the singular form of Secondary?
The singular form is "secondary."
Which conjunction is used with Secondary?
Any conjunction can be used with "secondary" depending on the sentence structure.
What is the plural form of Secondary?
The term "secondary" doesn't have a standard plural form as it's mainly used as an adjective. However, in some contexts, "secondaries" might be used.
Which preposition is used with Secondary?
It depends on the context. "To" can be used as in "secondary to something," meaning it's a result or consequence of something.
Is Secondary a noun or adjective?
Secondary is primarily used as an adjective.
Which vowel is used before Secondary?
The vowel "a" is commonly used before "secondary" as in "a secondary."
Why is it called Secondary?
Secondary derives from Latin "secundarius," which means "second."
Which article is used with Secondary?
Both "a" and "the" can be used with "secondary," depending on context.
Is the word Secondary imperative?
No, "secondary" is not an imperative.
Is the word “Secondary” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
As an adjective, "secondary" doesn't function as a direct or indirect object. However, nouns modified by "secondary" can serve in those roles.
What is another term for Secondary?
Subordinate or auxiliary.
Is Secondary an abstract noun?
No, "secondary" is not typically considered an abstract noun.
Is Secondary a negative or positive word?
"Secondary" is neutral; neither negative nor positive.
Which determiner is used with Secondary?
Determiners like "a," "the," or "this" can be used with "secondary."
Is the Secondary term a metaphor?
No, it's not inherently a metaphor, though it can be used metaphorically in some contexts.
How many syllables are in Secondary?
There are four syllables in "secondary."
What is the opposite of Secondary?
Primary.
What is the third form of Secondary?
Secondary doesn't have verb forms.
How is Secondary used in a sentence?
"His primary duty was to manage the team, while his secondary responsibility was to oversee project budgets."
Is Secondary an adverb?
No, "secondary" is not an adverb.
Is Secondary a collective noun?
No, it's not a collective noun.
How do we divide Secondary into syllables?
Sec-on-dar-y
What is a stressed syllable in Secondary?
The first syllable "Sec" is stressed.
What part of speech is Secondary?
Secondary is an adjective.
What is the first form of Secondary?
Secondary is primarily an adjective, so it doesn't have verb forms like "first form."
Is Secondary a vowel or consonant?
"Secondary" is a word composed of both vowels and consonants.
Is Secondary a countable noun?
No, "secondary" is mainly an adjective and not a countable noun.
Is the word Secondary a gerund?
No, it's not a gerund.
What is the second form of Secondary?
Secondary doesn't have verb forms.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
