Judged: two independent readers; copy check clear.

secondary quality

secondary quality In this historical usage, a secondary quality is a property understood as arising from how matter acts rather than from a fixed, sharply bounded substance.

In this historical usage, a secondary quality is a property understood as arising from how matter acts rather than from a fixed, sharply bounded substance. Here, impenetrability is treated as secondary because it is explained as the increasing repulsive force that prevents two portions of matter from occupying the same space.

Also see

Sources

Drafting source: Baldwin Dictionary of Philosophy and Psychology, 1901. 1901 New York Macmillan original; archive index checked 2026-10-18. “Impenetrability” (Impenetrability).
public-domain-US · Source snapshot SHA-256: 1be10ba2969f01c804562b5b8c0f1da1a39b993e570162fd1a6486e1a62be5f2

These citations identify the drafting sources. 2/2 independent reader passes against the pinned source packet. The drafter does not count as a reader. Source institutions do not endorse this dictionary.

Cite this entry

PsychTerms (psychterms.org), CC BY 4.0, version 1. “secondary quality.” Development preview.

Version 1 · SHA-256: fa646ac845cbcafd55af5f5ab67a9f5353f9bf518a3d09259be354ce0b11087b

Edit this entry on GitHub