What does secundum mean?
Secundum is a formal adverb meaning “according to” or “in accordance with.” It introduces the law, authority, method, or principle by which something is to be understood or judged. Although derived directly from Latin and still encountered in Latin legal maxims, it also functions as an English word in specialized writing. For example, “secundum artem” means “according to the rules of the art or profession,” while “secundum legem” means “according to law.” In ordinary conversation, “according to” or “in accordance with” would usually be more natural. Secundum is therefore useful chiefly for readers of legal, historical, theological, and philosophical texts, where its concise and classically derived wording conveys formality and precision.
adverbAccording to; in accordance with. It is chiefly used in formal legal, philosophical, and scholarly phrases, especially those retaining their Latin form.
- According to or in accordance with a specified law, authority, principle, or standard.
"The trustees administered the estate secundum the terms of the settlement."
"The decision was issued secundum the applicable rules of procedure."
"Nature is understood here secundum the principles of classical philosophy."
Secundum is Latin for “according to,” and it gives English legal and philosophical writing a distinctly classical sound.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does secundum come from?
Secundum is an adverb formed from the Latin secundus, meaning “second,” “following,” or “according to.” Latin already used secundum in the sense “according to,” especially when a law, custom, or authority was being cited. English borrowed the form into legal and scholarly usage, where it often remains within a partly or wholly Latin phrase. It is related to second, secondary, secondhand, and other English words descended from the same Latin root.
How secundum is actually used
In present-day English, this word is uncommon outside formal or Latinate expressions. It is especially associated with legal, theological, and philosophical language and may sound archaic or deliberately scholarly.