ancillary
adjective
an·cil·lary
| \ ˈan(t)-sə-ˌler-ē
, -ˌle-rē, especially British an-ˈsi-lə-rē\
, -ˌle-rē, especially British an-ˈsi-lə-rē\
Definition of ancillary
1
: subordinate, subsidiary
the main factory and its ancillary plants
2
: auxiliary, supplementary
the need for ancillary evidence ancillary expenses ancillary equipment
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Examples of ancillary in a Sentence
The lockout rocked the NHL, but among the ancillary benefits has been the emergence of young players who apprenticed for an additional season in the minors …
— Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated, 21 Nov. 2005
I am in love with a man who is in love with boats. As far as ancillary loves are concerned, I understand things could be worse. Sadly, I do not love boats.
— Ann Patchett, Gourmet, May 2003
Traditionally museums have been built to house collections, and for ancillary functions such as storage, conservation, administration, and education.
— Jayne Merkel, Wilson Quarterly, Winter 2002
Paleolithic hunters and gatherers obtained an abundance of complete protein, mostly from wild game; their vegetable foods were an ancillary protein source. This pattern prevailed until agriculture transformed it, shifting the human diet away from meat and toward plant food.
— S. Boyd Eaton et al., The Paleolithic Prescription, 1988
The company hopes to boost its sales by releasing ancillary products.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Phillips’ film isn’t designed to kick-start a new series or generate ancillary revenue streams from toys, video games and theme-park rides. — Josh Rottenberg, Los Angeles Times, "In ‘Joker’ the stakes are life and death, and comic book movies may never be the same," 28 Aug. 2019 This strategy is also animated by the rising adoption in Africa of smartphones, the growth of account-to-account interoperability, besides the ancillary industries like e-commerce facilitated by mobile money. — Abdi Latif Dahir, Quartz Africa, "Africa’s biggest bank is going after the continent’s informal markets," 28 Aug. 2019 San Japan runs Friday through Sunday at the Convention Center, with ancillary programming at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio and San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk hotels. — René A. Guzman, ExpressNews.com, "San Japan bringing stars of hit anime ‘My Hero Academia’ to San Antonio," 27 Aug. 2019 Then Martha, her daughter was a character, Snoop Dogg was a character and there were ancillary characters. — Fiona Moriarty-mclaughlin, The Hollywood Reporter, "Ivanka Trump Musical Set for New York Stage From Anna Wintour Show Creator," 22 Aug. 2019 Football, baseball and basketball fans don’t quite grasp competing in ancillary tournaments while their regular season is still going on. — Mike Bianchi, Pro Soccer USA, "Atlanta United crushes Orlando City’s dreams — again," 8 Aug. 2019 Mastering the ancillary skills like pass blocking has been a big part of the offseason checklist since Jacobs and Damien Harris had quietly filled those roles previously. — Michael Casagrande | [email protected], al, "What you need to know before Alabama opens football practice," 1 Aug. 2019 Even seemingly ancillary features should add character to the site. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "North Park Mini Park finally in the works for parking lot behind theater," 23 July 2019 As a result, the airline’s ancillary sales are growing twice as fast as its passenger numbers. — M.r., The Economist, "How ham-and-cheese paninis are saving Ryanair’s dough," 29 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ancillary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ancillary
ancillary
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of ancillary
formal
: providing something additional to a main part or function
See the full definition for ancillary in the English Language Learners Dictionary
ancillary
adjective
an·cil·lary
| \ ˈan(t)-sə-ˌler-ē, especially British an-ˈsil-ə-rē\
Medical Definition of ancillary
(Entry 1 of 2)
: being auxiliary or supplementary
use of a drug as ancillary to surgical treatment ancillary staff ancillary diagnostic services
ancillary
noun
plural ancillaries
Medical Definition of ancillary (Entry 2 of 2)
1
British
: one who assists or is supplementary to another person
2
: a supplemental diagnostic or therapeutic medical service (as magnetic resonance imaging or radiotherapy)
ancillary
adjective
an·cil·lary
| \ ˈan-sə-ˌler-ē, an-ˈsi-lə-rē
\
\
Legal Definition of ancillary
1
: having a subordinate, subsidiary, or secondary nature
ancillary functions an ancillary agreement
2
: serving as a supplement or addition
ancillary documents
3
: directly related
ancillary claims