ancillary

UK: /ænˈsɪləri/

US: /ˈænsəˌlɛri/

US: (an′sə ler′ē or, esp. Brit., an sil′ə rē)

Inflections of 'ancillary' (n): npl: ancillaries

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

an•cil•lar•y /ˈænsəˌlɛri/   adj., n., pl. -ies. 
adj. 

1. subordinate;
   subsidiary:
   working in an ancillary position.
   [be + ~ + to + object]
   Buying a new car is ancillary to my goal of buying a house.
2. serving as a supplement:
   [before a noun] ancillary teaching materials.

n. [countable]

3. something that is an ancillary.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

an•cil•lar•y  (an′sə ler′ē or, esp. Brit., an sil′ə rē), adj., n., pl. -lar•ies. 
adj. 

1. subordinate;
   subsidiary.
2. auxiliary;
   assisting.

n. 

3. something that serves in an ancillary capacity:
   Slides, records, and other ancillaries can be used with the basic textbook.

• Latin ancill(a) (see ancilla) + -ary; compare Latin ancillāris having the status of a female slave, with -āris -ar¹
• 1660–70

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ancillary / ænˈsɪlərɪ/ adjective

1. subsidiary
2. auxiliary; supplementary: ancillary services

noun ( -laries)

1. a subsidiary or auxiliary thing or person

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin ancillāris concerning maidservants, from ancilla, diminutive of ancūla female servant