/ˌsɛkəˈndɛɹəli/
Say it backSecondarily is an adverb meaning in a secondary or subordinate manner or as a secondary consideration. It describes something done in a secondary priority, order, or importance. The term is often used in formal or academic contexts to contrast primary considerations with secondary ones.
"The results were analyzed first, and secondarily, they examined long-term effects."
"Secondarily, the study reviewed ancillary data to support the main hypothesis."
"Policy decisions should focus on primary goals, with secondarily considered risks evaluated later."
Pronounce as /ˌsɛkənˈdɛrəli/ (US/UK) with primary stress on the third syllable from the end: -sec- /sɛk-/ , -on-/ /ən/ , -der- /ˈdɛr/ , -ly /li/. Your mouth starts with a short 'eh' sound in 'sec', then a schwa in 'on', a clear 'd' before the stressed 'er' syllable, and a final 'lee' vowel. Think: suh-KUN-DAIR-uh-lee. Practice slowly: suh-KUN-duh-ruh-lee.
Two common mistakes: (1) Stress placement shifting to the wrong syllable (e.g., /ˌsɛkənˈdɛrəli/). Correct by keeping main stress on the 3rd from end: /ˌsɛkənˈdɛrəli/. (2) Tending to reduce 'der' to a weak vowel in the stressed syllable; maintain a clear /ˈdɛr/ vowel before the -ə- li ending. Use slow drilling to anchor the exact vowel qualities and syllable rhythm.
US tends to have a sharper /ˌsɛkənˈdɛrəli/ with a pronounced /ɜr/ in some speakers; UK often features slightly rounded /ˌsekənˈdɛrəli/ and less rhotacism, while Australian patterns align more with non-rhotic tendencies in careful speech but may still show /ˈdɪər/-like vowel quality in the stressed syllable. The final -ly tends to /li/ in all, but connected speech can reduce it to a syllabic /lɪ/ or /li/.
Difficulties center on multi-syllable stress placement and vowel sequencing: a non-final primary stress on the third-to-last syllable requires precise timing across sec-on-DA-rel-ly; the mid vowels /ɛ/ and /ə/ can be challenging in fast speech, and the /r/ before the -ly ending can be tricky for non-rhotic speakers. Practice by isolating each segment and linking them smoothly with a light flap before the final /li/.
Does the word ever shift to an adverbial phrase in pronunciation? No—secondarily is always a single adverb derived from secondary; it doesn’t split into distinct words in typical speech. You’ll keep it as one continuous word with four syllables and the main stress on the third from the end. The prefix sec- is linked to the root secondary, and the -arily ending remains consistently unstressed aside from the main stress on the -er- syllable.
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Secondarily comes from the base adjective secondary, which derives from Latin secundarius, meaning following or next in order. The Latin root secundus means following or second, from secare ‘to cut’ in the sense of setting apart in a sequence. The suffix -ar y in Latin forms adjectives indicating relation, and in English, -ary/-ary forms nouns/adverbs related to the root. In English, secondary entered usage around the 14th century as an adjective meaning of a second rank or position. The adverbial form secondarily developed later to denote manner or order, typically in scholarly, technical, or formal prose. The word has retained precise, often hierarchical nuance, contrasting primary or main concerns with secondary considerations. First known uses surface in legal and philosophical texts where argumentation requires distinguishing primary premises from secondary supporting points. Over time, secondarily broadened to general academic and professional writing, preserving its relationship to sequence and priority. In modern usage, you’ll frequently encounter it in research reports, policy analyses, and comparative descriptions where a secondary aspect is acknowledged but not primary to the main point.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "secondarily" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "secondarily" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "secondarily"
-rly sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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