1. Descriptive of being connected with something, but being less important than the main thing or other people: Grace has an ancillary remuneration, in addition to her retirement earnings, for working in the garden of the building where she is living.
2. Referring to an individual who supports professional people; such as, doctors and teachers to help them in their work: Jack, the teacher’s aid, was considered to be an ancillary assistant because he gave Mrs. Smart a helping hand in so many ways.
3. Relating to something that is of secondary importance: Mildred took a great deal of pride in her work, even though the pay was poor and most of her duties were ancillary activities compared to those of the man she was working with.
4. Etymology: from Latin ancillaris, "relating to maidservants"; from ancilla, "handmaid"; derived from anculus, "servant"; literally, "he who bustles about"; from the root of ambi-, "around" + -culus, "attend to, cultivate". © ALL rights are reserved.

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