Tertiary Definition & Meaning

American

British

Scientific

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms tertiary American [tur-shee-er-ee, tur-shuh-ree] / ˈtɜr ʃiˌɛr i, ˈtɜr ʃə ri /

adjective

1. of the third order, rank, stage, formation, etc.; third.

2. Chemistry.

   1. noting or containing a carbon atom united to three other carbon atoms.

   2. formed by replacement of three atoms or groups.

3. (initial capital letter) noting or pertaining to the period forming the earlier part of the Cenozoic Era, occurring from 65 million to 2 million years ago, characterized by the development and proliferation of mammals.

4. Ornithology. tertial.

5. Ecclesiastical. noting or pertaining to a branch, or third order, of certain religious orders that consists of lay members living in community regular tertiaries or living in the world secular tertiaries.

noun

plural

tertiaries

1. (initial capital letter) the Tertiary Period or System.

2. Ornithology. a tertial feather.

3. (often initial capital letter) a member of a tertiary branch of a religious order.

4. tertiary color.

Tertiary 1 British / ˈtɜːʃərɪ /

adjective

1. of, denoting, or formed in the first period of the Cenozoic era, which lasted for 63 million years, during which mammals became dominant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. the Tertiary period or rock system, divided into Palaeocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene epochs or series

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 tertiary 2 British / ˈtɜːʃərɪ /

adjective

1. third in degree, order, etc

2. (of education) taking place after secondary school, such as at university, college, etc

3. (of an industry) involving services as opposed to extraction or manufacture, such as transport, finance, etc Compare primary secondary

4. RC Church of or relating to a Third Order

5. chem

   1. (of an organic compound) having a functional group attached to a carbon atom that is attached to three other groups

   2. (of an amine) having three organic groups attached to a nitrogen atom

   3. (of a salt) derived from a tribasic acid by replacement of all its acidic hydrogen atoms with metal atoms or electropositive groups

6. Also called: tertial. rare ornithol of, relating to, or designating any of the small flight feathers attached to the part of the humerus nearest to the body

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. Also called: tertial. rare ornithol any of the tertiary feathers

2. RC Church a member of a Third Order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 tertiary Scientific / tûr′shē-ĕr′ē /

1. Tertiary. The first period of the Cenozoic Era, from about 65 to 2 million years ago. During this time the continents took on their present form, and the climate changed from being warmer and wetter, in the early part of the period, to being drier and cooler in the later part. Mammals replaced dinosaurs as the dominant form of terrestrial animal life, and many modern types of flowering plants, insects, mollusks, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds appeared. The Tertiary is subdivided into the Paleogene and the Neogene, although these terms are not as widely used as are the names of the epochs that constitute them.

2. See Chart at geologic time

1. 1. Relating to or having a carbon atom that is attached to three other carbon atoms in a molecule.

   2. Relating to an organic molecule, such as an alcohol, in which the functional group is attached to a tertiary carbon.

2. Relating to an advanced level of medical care, usually provided by subspecialists after the delivery of primary medical care.

3. Compare primary secondary

Other Word Forms

• post-Tertiary adjective
• pre-Tertiary adjective

Etymology

Origin of tertiary

1540–50; < Latin tertiārius of third part or rank, equivalent to terti ( us ) third + -ārius -ary

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But once tertiary infections appear - friends of friends, or contacts of contacts - the outbreak slips out of control unless authorities impose much tougher measures, including lockdowns.

From BBC

Sarah Murphy, Welsh minister for mental health and wellbeing, said women's health pathfinder hubs are expected to come online "in the next few months" building on existing services to "create a tertiary level support".

From BBC

Marcus Smart, who had starred in his role as a tenacious defender and tertiary ball-handler without James, played just 17 minutes off the bench, his fewest of the year.

From Los Angeles Times

Until 2016, Arabic was the language of instruction in Somalia at junior schools and English at secondary and tertiary levels.

From BBC

Another week, another named storm barrels in with a report exposing the worrying state of tertiary education.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.