subsidiary

Compared meaning: less important than the main thing (adjective).

比较义项：次要的，不如主要事物重要（形容词）。

• secondary

  The everyday, general-purpose word for 'less important', used across many contexts — a secondary role, a secondary concern, a secondary skill.

  日常通用词，表示“次要的”，可用于多种场合，如次要角色、次要问题、次要技能等。

  Reading is important, but writing is a secondary skill too.

  阅读很重要，但写作也是一项次要技能。

• subsidiary 本词

  A more formal word, common in business, legal or organizational contexts, describing something that supports or serves a main matter — a subsidiary role, question or company.

  更正式的词，常见于商业、法律或组织语境，表示对主要事项起辅助或从属作用的——如从属角色、从属问题或从属机构。

  The committee treated funding as a subsidiary matter until the main proposal was settled.

  委员会将资金问题视为从属事项，直到主要提案确定为止。

Secondary and subsidiary both mean less important than the main thing. Secondary is an everyday word usable in almost any context. Subsidiary is more formal, common in business, legal, or organizational settings. It excludes secondary as 'second-level' and subsidiary as 'a company'.

这两个词在“次要的”这一意义上很接近，但语域不同：secondary 是日常通用词，几乎可用于任何场合；subsidiary 更正式，多见于商业、法律或组织语境。此外，这里不比较 secondary 的“第二级的、中学的”（如 secondary school）等其他义项，也不比较 subsidiary 常用作名词表示“子公司”的用法。