ENGLISH
REFERENCE

tertiary

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˈtɝʃɝi// UK //tˈɜːʃjəɹi// ter·tiary

adj. third in order or importance. You use it to describe the final stage in a three-part sequence, like tertiary education after primary and secondary school.

adj. ranking third in a sequence of three; denoting the final stage of development, education, or industrial processing. Typically used attributively before a noun.


SIMPLE

She is studying for her tertiary degree.

CONTEXTUAL

The government invested heavily in tertiary education to improve the workforce's skills.

COMPLEX

The tertiary sector of the economy, comprising services rather than manufacturing, now dominates the national GDP.

Synonyms
Origin

See tertiary.

Usage

Often used in fixed phrases like 'tertiary education' or 'tertiary industry'.

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