second
adjective · noun · adverb · verb
Simple meaning
Coming right after the first one, number two
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sehkuhndSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɛkənd
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
Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.
Next to the first in value, power, excellence, dignity, or rank; secondary; subordinate; inferior.
Being of the same kind as one that has preceded; another.
noun
Something that is number two in a series.
Something that is next in rank, quality, precedence, position, status, or authority.
An indefinitely short time
A chance or attempt to achieve what should have been done the first time, usually indicating success this time around.
The gear that has the second lowest forward gear ratio in the gear box of a motor vehicle
“He had to shift down into second to make the hill.”
usually in the plural
A manufactured item that, though still usable, fails to meet quality control standards.
adverb
After the first occurrence but before the third.
with superlative
After the first; at the second rank.
verb
transitive
To agree as a second person to (a proposal), usually to reach a necessary quorum of two.
Give support or one's approval to
transitive
To assist or support; to back.
transitiveuk
To transfer temporarily to alternative employment.
To follow in the next place; to succeed.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Number-two; following after the first one with nothing between them. The ordinal number corresponding to the cardinal number two.
Used this way, second is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use second
- “The treasure is 2 minutes and 45 seconds south of here.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Related to 1/60 of a minute.
In the second place.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Battle in World War I (1915).
In second place.
Mental infirmity as a consequence of old age.
Not the highest rank in a classification.
The reappearance of Jesus as judge for the Last Judgment.
The reappearance of Jesus as judge for the Last Judgment.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: something that is number two in a series
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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.