Auxiliary Meaning
/ɔːɡˈzɪl.(j)ə.ɹi/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjHelping; giving assistance or support.
adjSupplementary or subsidiary.
Sentence Examples
There are two categories of verbs in the Uyghur language - primary and auxiliary.
What auxiliary materials or machines can presenters use when making a presentation?
Esperanto is the most popular auxiliary language ever invented.
CEFR Practice Quiz
When the main engine failed, the captain started the ____ power unit to keep the ship running.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ship has an ____ engine that is used for maneuvering in the port.
Word Origin & History
From Latin auxiliārius (“assistant, ally”), equiv. to auxiliāris (“helping, aiding”), from auxilium (“help, aid”), from augēre (“to increase”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Auxiliaries and ancillaries are comprehensive, and include a Westinghouse motor-driven recriprocating compressor used for locomotive braking and general service air, two rotary exhauster sets for train brakes when hauling passenger or fitted freight trains, and an oil-fired train heating boiler."
— 1950 November, “Mixed-Traffic Diesel-Electric Locomotives for Ireland”, in Railway Magazine, page 781:
"A drive to exploit the Highlands as a winter sports area, with all the necessary auxiliaries, such as chair lifts in the Cairngorms, shows increasing promise, […]."
— 1962 September, G. Freeman Allen, “The New Look in Scotland's Northern Division—1”, in Modern Railways, page 163:
"Summer “felt betrayed” that a close friend had used AI as “an auxiliary” to talk to her."
— 2025 June 30, Adrienne Matei, “‘Hey man, I’m so sorry for your loss’: should you use AI to text?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
"The three traditionally recognized Non-modal Auxiliaries are the per-
fective Auxiliary have, the progressive Auxiliary be, and the passive Auxiliary
be. Perfective have is so-called because it marks the completion (hence, perfec-
tion) of an action; it is followed by a VP headed by a perfective -n participle, as
in:
(121) The referee has [_(VP) shown him the red card]"
— 1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 151:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
When the main engine failed, the captain started the ____ power unit to keep the ship running.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ship has an ____ engine that is used for maneuvering in the port.