Meaning of "second best" in the English dictionary

PRONUNCIATION OF SECOND BEST

second best  [ˈsekənd best]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SECOND BEST

Second best is a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

WHAT DOES SECOND BEST MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Theory of the second best

In welfare economics, the theory of the second best concerns what happens when one or more optimality conditions cannot be satisfied. Canadian economist Richard Lipsey and Australian economist Kelvin Lancaster showed in a 1956 paper that if one optimality condition in an economic model cannot be satisfied, it is possible that the next-best solution involves changing other variables away from the values that would otherwise be optimal. This means that in an economy with some uncorrectable market failure in one sector, actions to correct market failures in another related sector with the intent of increasing overall economic efficiency may actually decrease it. In theory, at least, it may be better to let two market imperfections cancel each other out rather than making an effort to fix either one. Thus, it may be optimal for the government to intervene in a way that is contrary to usual policy. This suggests that economists need to study the details of the situation before jumping to the theory-based conclusion that an improvement in market perfection in one area implies a global improvement in efficiency.

Definition of second best in the English dictionary

The definition of second best in the dictionary is an inferior alternative.

TRANSLATION OF SECOND BEST

Find out the translation of second best to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of second best from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «second best» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 第二个最佳
• Translator English - Spanish: segundo mejor
• English: second best
• Translator English - Hindi: दूसरा सबसे अच्छा
• Translator English - Arabic: ثاني أفضل
• Translator English - Russian: второе место
• Translator English - Portuguese: segundo melhor
• Translator English - Bengali: দ্বিতীয় সেরা
• Translator English - French: deuxième meilleur
• Translator English - Malay: kedua terbaik
• Translator English - German: zweitbeste
• Translator English - Japanese: 次善の策
• Translator English - Korean: 초 최고
• Translator English - Javanese: Paling apik kaping pindho
• Translator English - Vietnamese: tốt nhất thứ hai
• Translator English - Tamil: இரண்டாவது சிறந்தது
• Translator English - Marathi: दुसरा सर्वोत्तम
• Translator English - Turkish: en iyi ikinci
• Translator English - Italian: secondo miglior
• Translator English - Polish: drugi najlepszy
• Translator English - Ukrainian: друге місце
• Translator English - Romanian: al doilea cel mai bine
• Translator English - Greek: δεύτερη καλύτερη
• Translator English - Afrikaans: die tweede beste
• Translator English - Swedish: näst bästa
• Translator English - Norwegian: nest best

9 QUOTES WITH «SECOND BEST»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word second best.

1

Hilaire Belloc

It is the best of all trades, to make songs, and the second best to sing them.

2

Jimmy Connors

Nothing is like being out there and playing and performing and winning - nothing. But to have an interest in the player? The nerves and everything that goes with it? Seeing what he's learned and how he's done it? That's the second best thing to playing. I think.

3

Martin Heinrich

When it comes to renewable energy, there's no reason America should settle for second best.

4

Doris Lessing

There is only one real sin and that is to persuade oneself that the second best is anything but second best.

5

Andy Murray

I don't play any tournaments to come second best.

6

Mike Newell

I don't like the term 'chick flick.' I think it denigrates a movie. It has overtones of talking down to women, like they are second best.

7

John O'Donohue

The best decision I ever made was to become a priest and I think the second best was to resign.

8

George Stevens, Jr.

In my mid-20s, I was directing episodes of 'Alfred Hitchcock' and 'Peter Gunn.' I was pretty much on course and - as I sometimes joke - was prepared to devote my life to become the second best film director in my family.

9

Meg Whitman

For me, the international expansion of eBay was the best idea. We are now in 35 countries, and have a huge global network. The second best one was the acquisition of PayPal - the wallet on eBay.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SECOND BEST»

Discover the use of second best in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to second best and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Second-Best Friend

Holly struggles with jealousy when her best friend invites an Austrian exchange student to stay for six weeks.

Beverly Lewis, 2002

Second-Best Wife

"Rebecca Winters writes powerful, moving stories—filled with passion, betrayal and a love so strong as to overcome all obstacles…" —Affaire de Coeur

Rebecca Winters, 2011

Second-Best Husband (Mills & Boon Modern) (Penny Jordan ...

Penny Jordan .Nooa'gsfruw. JORDAN. Second-Best. Husband. “I don't in any way see a marriage between us. Front Cover.

Penny Jordan, 2013

Second-Best Bride (Mills & Boon Vintage 90s Modern)

Wedlocked! "Marry me now.

Sara Wood, 2012

Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection

Spar is acutely aware that it’s time to change course. Both deeply personal and statistically rich, Wonder Women is Spar’s story and the story of our culture. It is cultural history at its best, and a road map for the future.

Debora L. Spar, 2013

The Second Best Bed: Shakespeare's Will in a New Light

Joyce Rogers sheds new light upon Shakespeare's last public words through her study of medieval and Renaissance ecclesiastical and testamentary laws and custom.

Joyce Rogers, 1993

Primer on Reforms in a Second-Best Ambiguous Environment: A ...

A Case for Gradualism S. Nuri Erbas. “For the fact that many of our hopes did not materialize. For things which to us seemed simple but turned out arduous. I want to ask forgiveness for the fact that I was not able to justify the hopes of some ...

S. Nuri Erbas, 2002

Regulation and Markets

Traditional approaches to pricing for public enterprises such as Ramsey (1927), Boiteux (1956) and Baumol and Bradford (1970) have emphasized second-best prices, which allow the firm to break even and are not Pareto dominated by ...

Daniel F. Spulber, 1989

Billie B Brown: The Second-best Friend

The Billie B Brown adventures are perfect for girls who are desperate to begin reading but are bored by daggy school readers!

Sally Rippin, 2010

Assessing Benefits of Slum Upgrading Programs in Second-best ...

"Slum upgrading programs are being used by national and city governments in many countries to improve the welfare of households living in slum and squatter settlements.

Basab Dasgupta, Somik V. Lall, 2006

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SECOND BEST»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term second best is used in the context of the following news items.

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel checks out of third instalment

Despite the success of the first and second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films, ... relief when we finished the second one that nobody had fallen ill or been injured. «The Guardian, Jul 15»

New DVD releases: 'Ex Machina,' 'Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'

Celia Imrie (from left), Ronald Pickup, Diana Hardcastle, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy in a scene from "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.". «Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jul 15»

DVD previews: 'Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,' 'Ex Machina'

"The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (PG, 122 minutes, Fox): Maggie Smith continues her serial scene-stealing in this strident, over-plotty sequel to the 2012 ... «Chicago Daily Herald, Jul 15»

DVD Review – The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)

Despite these criticisms, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel does the only thing it needed to; entertain its core set of fans. The first incarnation of this series ... «Flickering Myth, Jul 15»

Reel Relationships: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – Be …

SYNOPSIS: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only one remaining vacancy, posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals, so Sonny and Muriel travel to ... «Reel Life With Jane, Apr 15»

Granger on Movies: 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'

ìThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" is a sequel to the popular 2012 movie, ìThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Photo: Contributed Photo. ìThe Second Best ... «Fairfield Citizen, Mar 15»

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel outruns Liam Neeson at UK box …

Resisting the challenge of the latest Liam Neeson actioner, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel held on to the top spot for the third week in a row. It's the first ... «The Guardian, Mar 15»

George Best's son Calum: I found out dad was having liver …

In and extract from the book, Second Best: My Dad and Me, published in the Daily Mail, Calum recalls how he was in a taxi in 2002 when the news came on the ... «mirror.co.uk, Mar 15»

Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel books another week atop UK box …

Falling a decent 36%, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel comfortably held on to the top spot for a second week, rebuffing the challenge of new releases ... «The Guardian, Mar 15»

'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel': The movie is 'second-best …

The surprise success of “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” has inevitably given us “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” its all too aptly titled sequel. «Christian Science Monitor, Mar 15»