Terciária

Terciária is the feminine form of the Portuguese adjective terciário and is used to describe something related to the third in a sequence, or to a third level or tier. The term derives from Latin tertius and appears in different domains to indicate a position after the primary and secondary levels of a system or hierarchy.

In education, ensino terciário refers to post-secondary education beyond the compulsory level. Depending on the country, this can include higher education such as universities and polytechnic institutes as well as technical or vocational training that follows secondary school.

In economics, the setor terciário, or service sector, designates activities that provide services rather than goods. This includes industries such as trade, finance, health, education, public administration, transport, and hospitality. The terciário is typically contrasted with the primary (extractive) and secondary (manufacturing) sectors in economic analyses.

Historically in geology, Terciário referred to a large geologic time span that roughly encompassed 66 to 2.6 million years ago. Today this interval is largely subdivided into the Paleogene and Neogene periods, but the term Terciário remains in some texts and in certain regional usages as a historical label.

Usage varies by country and discipline, and the term is primarily a descriptive label for a third level within a system—whether in education, economy, or historical geologic terminology.