secondary

Universal Words adjective 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.