1 ~ (to sth) less important than sth else:
a secondary consideration / issue / role * Experience is what matters-age is of secondary importance. * Raising animals was only secondary to other forms of farming.
2 happening as a result of sth else:
a secondary infection / tumour * a secondary effect * a secondary colour (= made from mixing two primary colours)
3 [onlybeforenoun] connected with teaching children of 11-18 years:
secondary teachers * the secondary curriculum
compareELEMENTARY, PRIMARY, TERTIARY
secondarily adverb:
Poverty is primarily a cause of illness and only secondarily its effect.
