adjective
tertiary
TUR-shee-air-ee
Tertiary (adjective) means Third in order, rank or importance, coming after primary and secondary. Example: “Tertiary causes of the collapse were noted but not investigated.”
adjective
1
Third in order, rank or importance, coming after primary and secondary.
"Tertiary causes of the collapse were noted but not investigated."
"The hospital is a tertiary referral centre for burns."
2
Relating to education that comes after secondary school, such as university or college.
"Around half of school leavers go on to tertiary education."
3
In economics, relating to the part of an economy that provides services rather than extracting raw materials or manufacturing goods.
"Tourism and finance dominate the tertiary sector."
How to use tertiary
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe third one in a sequence, after the first and second.
When to use it
Formal and technical, common in medicine, education policy, economics and colour theory.
Memory tip
The sequence runs primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary. Tertiary always means third, never merely minor, although what is third is often less important.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
tertiary education
tertiary sector
tertiary care
tertiary colours
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Fill the gap
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_____ causes of the collapse were noted but not investigated.
Etymology
From Latin tertiarius 'of or containing a third part', from tertius 'third'.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for tertiary
See all rhymes for tertiary →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between primary, secondary and tertiary?
Primary is first, secondary is second and tertiary is third in a ranked sequence. In healthcare, primary care is your GP, secondary care is a hospital specialist you are referred to, and tertiary care is a highly specialised centre for complex cases.
What is tertiary education?
Tertiary education is any formal study undertaken after secondary school, including universities, technical institutes and vocational colleges. The term is standard in Britain, Australia and New Zealand, where Americans would usually say higher education or college.
What are tertiary colours?
Tertiary colours are made by mixing a primary colour with a neighbouring secondary colour, giving shades such as red-orange, yellow-green and blue-violet. There are six of them on a standard twelve-part colour wheel.
What is the meaning of tertiary?
"tertiary" (adjective) means third in order, rank or importance, coming after primary and secondary.
