auxiliary

aux·il·ia·ry

Use auxiliary in a sentence

adjective

Auxiliary is defined as something or someone used in a supporting role or used in reserve.

An example of an auxiliary generator is one that gives power to a building when the main generators stop working.

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"auxiliary." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 07 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/AUXILIARY>.

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auxiliary. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/AUXILIARY

auxiliary

giving help or aid; assisting or supporting
acting in a subsidiary, or subordinate, capacity
additional; supplementary; reserve
having an engine that can be used for supplementary power, as a sailing vessel
designating or of any of the noncombat ships, as tankers or tenders, that form the service fleet of a navy

Origin of auxiliary

Classical Latin auxiliaris, helpful from auxilium, aid from past participle of augere, to increase: see wax

noun

pl. -·ries

an auxiliary person or thing
[pl.] foreign or allied armed forces aiding those of a country at war
an assisting or supplementary group or organization: this club has a women's auxiliary
an auxiliary vessel or ship
Gram. auxiliary verb

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MLA Style

"auxiliary." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 07 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/AUXILIARY>.

APA Style

auxiliary. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/AUXILIARY

auxiliary

adjective

Giving assistance or support; helping.
Acting as a subsidiary; supplementary: the main library and its auxiliary branches.
Held in or used as a reserve: auxiliary troops; an auxiliary power generator.
Nautical Equipped with a motor as well as sails.
Grammar Of, relating to, or being an auxiliary verb.

noun

pl. aux·il·ia·ries

An individual or group that assists or functions in a supporting capacity: a volunteers' auxiliary at a hospital.
A member of a foreign body of troops serving a country in war.
Grammar An auxiliary verb.
Nautical
a. A sailing vessel equipped with a motor.
b. A vessel, such as a supply ship or a tug, that is designed for and used in instances and services other than combat.

Origin of auxiliary

Middle English from Latin auxiliārius from auxilium help ; see aug- in Indo-European roots.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"auxiliary." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 07 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/AUXILIARY>.

APA Style

auxiliary. (n.d.). Retrieved December 07th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/AUXILIARY

Adjective

(not comparable)

Helping; giving assistance or support.
auxiliary troops
Supplementary or subsidiary.
Held in reserve for exceptional circumstances.
(nautical) Of a ship, having both sails and an engine.
(grammar) Relating to an auxiliary verb.

Noun

(plural auxiliaries)

A person or group that acts in an auxiliary manner.
A sailing vessel equipped with an engine.
(grammar) An auxiliary verb.
A marching band colorguard.

Origin

From Latin auxiliārius (“assistant, ally”), equiv. to auxiliāris (“helping, aiding”), from auxilium (“help, aid”), from augēre (“to increase”).

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.