accessory
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
aksehsereeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ækˈsɛsɚi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; being additional; contributing or being contributory.
Present in a minor amount, and not essential.
noun
Something that belongs to part of another main thing; something additional and subordinate, an attachment.
fashion
An article that completes one's basic outfit, such as a scarf or gloves.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; being additional; contributing or being contributory.
As an adjective, 'accessory' describes something that supports or aids a main thing, but isn't essential itself. It's often found in legal contexts for crimes or describing additional features for products. Think 'optional extra.'
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where you'll really hear it
Legal terminology
“He was found guilty of being an accessory to the crime.”
Retail/Sales
“We sell many accessory items for your new phone.”
Technical manuals
“An accessory cable provides extra connectivity options.”
Nearby words
- accessary , a specialist term, precise but narrower
- adjuvant , a specialist term, precise but narrower
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use accessory
- “A colorful scarf is a perfect accessory for any simple outfit.”adjective
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
Secondary or subordinate.
Connected in a subordinate function.
Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary.
Supplementary or subsidiary.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A person who gives assistance or comfort to someone known to be a felon or known to be sought in connection with the commission of a felony.
A person who procures or advises or commands the commission of a felony but who is not present at its perpetration.
A vein that passes along the radial edge of the forearm and joins the cephalic vein near the elbow.
A person who witnesses a crime but does not try to prevent it.
Fruit containing much fleshy tissue besides that of the ripened ovary.
A vein formed by the union of the 4th to 7th posterior intercostal veins.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
adjective
Sense: having a secondary or supplementary
noun
Sense: something that belongs to part of another main thing
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.