subordination
noun
sub·or·di·na·tion
sə-ˌbȯr-də-ˈnā-shən 
: placement in a lower class, rank, or position : the act or process of subordinating someone or something or the state of being subordinated
Humans signal subordination by bowing, groveling, laughing at the boss’s jokes, kissing the don’s ring, saluting and so on.—
Frans de Waal
Frans de WaalThe price is individual subordination to the group and limited autonomy of the nuclear family.—Corinne N. Nydegger
Corinne N. NydeggerAfter 1688, as before, the message was one of subordination to divinely constituted authority, whether of kings or of one's social superiors.—Richard W. Davis
Richard W. DavisExamples of subordination in a Sentence
an oligarchy requires subordination by the masses to the will of a tiny elite
Recent Examples on the Web
Trump’s Oval Office subordination of the Europeans was stunning.
—John Seiler, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
Imperialism is always about conquest and total subordination of one regime to another.
—Ronald Suny, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
Sheinbaum said members of her administration had been working with U.S. officials on a broader security agreement based on sovereignty, mutual trust, territorial respect and coordination without subordination.
—Jenna Sundel
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Now, the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has maintained that the bilateral relationship should be based on cooperation and not subordination, is obliged to treat the issue of migration and drug trafficking with caution.
—Anna Lagos, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordination
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John Seiler, Oc Register, 20 Aug. 2025
Imperialism is always about conquest and total subordination of one regime to another.
—Ronald Suny, The Conversation, 19 Aug. 2025
Sheinbaum said members of her administration had been working with U.S. officials on a broader security agreement based on sovereignty, mutual trust, territorial respect and coordination without subordination.
—Jenna Sundel
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
Now, the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who has maintained that the bilateral relationship should be based on cooperation and not subordination, is obliged to treat the issue of migration and drug trafficking with caution.
—Anna Lagos, WIRED, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordination
Cite this Entry
“Subordination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subordination. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
subordination
noun
sub·or·di·na·tion
sə-ˌbȯrd-ᵊn-ˈā-shən
: an act or instance of subordinating
also
: the remedy of subordinating a claim see also equitable subordination
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