Complementary vs Secondary - What's the difference?
complementary | secondary |
Acting as a complement.
*
(genetics) Of the specific pairings of the bases in DNA and RNA.
(physics) Pertaining to pairs of properties in quantum mechanics that are inversely related to each other, such as speed and position, or energy and time. (See also Heisenberg uncertainty principle.)
A complementary colour.
(obsolete) One skilled in compliments.
Succeeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, rank, etc.; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate.
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. Compare primary.
(geology) Subsequent in origin; -- said of minerals produced by alteration or deposition subsequent to the formation of the original rocks mass; also of characters of minerals (as secondary cleavage, etc.) developed by pressure or other causes.
(zootomy) Pertaining to the second joint of the wing of a bird.
(medicine) Dependent or consequent upon another disease; as, Bright's disease is often secondary to scarlet fever; or occurring in the second stage of a disease; as, the secondary symptoms of syphilis.
Of less than primary importance.
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(of a color) Formed by mixing primary colors.
(ornithology) Any flight feather attached to the ulna (forearm) of a bird.
(finance) An act of issuing more stock by an already publicly traded corporation.
(American football, Canadian football) 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.
* Shakespeare
(astronomy) A secondary circle.
(astronomy) A satellite.
(Webster 1913)
As adjectives the difference between complementary and secondary
is that complementary is acting as a complement while secondary is succeeding next in order to the first; of second place, origin, rank, rank, etc; not primary; subordinate; not of the first order or rate.As nouns the difference between complementary and secondary
is that complementary is a complementary colour while secondary is .complementary
English
(wikipedia complementary)Adjective
(en adjective)- Using the terminology we intro-
duced earlier, we might then say that black and white squares are in comple-
mentary distribution on a chess-board. By this we mean two things: firstly,
black squares and white squares occupy different positions on the board: and
secondly, the black and white squares complement each other in the sense that
the black squares together with the white squares comprise the total set of 64
squares found on the board (i.e. there is no square on the board which is not
either black or white).
Usage notes
* Complementary and complimentary are frequently confused and misused in place of one another.Derived terms
* complementarily * complementarity * complementary angle * complementary colour * complementary distributionNoun
(complementaries)- (Ben Jonson)
External links
* *secondary
English
(wikipedia secondary)Adjective
(en adjective)- Yellow is a secondary light color, though a primary CMYK color.
Coordinate terms
(terms coordinate to secondary) * primary (1) * tertiary (3) * quaternary (4) * quinary (5) * senary (6) * septenary (7) * octonary (8) * nonary (9) * denary (10) * duodenary (12) * vigenary (20)Noun
(secondaries)- the secondary , or undersheriff, of the city of London
- Old Escalus is thy secondary .