subsystem
noun
sub·sys·tem
ˈsəb-ˌsi-stəm 
variants
or less commonly sub-system
plural subsystems also sub-systems
: a system that is part of a larger system
These subsystems of the climate system include the atmosphere, the oceans (both upper and deep oceans), the sea ice, the ice sheets, the land surface, and the biota.—
Stephen H. Schneider
Stephen H. SchneiderVoyager 2 was the troublesome twin. Even before launch, failures in its onboard computer subsystems had to be rectified. The problems continued after liftoff as the attitude-control subsystem behaved in an unexpected fashion.—William I. McLaughlin
William I. McLaughlinExamples of subsystem in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The water recovery and treatment system on the ISS consists of several subsystems.
—Berrin Tansel, The Conversation, 30 July 2025
The team had been working on climate change, specifically the collapse of subsystems of ocean currents.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
The company says that its AI Memory Engine is a highly configurable memory subsystem IP that enables significant improvements in power efficiency, performance, intelligence, and endurance.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
This port inside the vehicle connects to various subsystems and allows small receivers to access the car's computer system.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsystem
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Berrin Tansel, The Conversation, 30 July 2025
The team had been working on climate change, specifically the collapse of subsystems of ocean currents.
—Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 8 July 2025
The company says that its AI Memory Engine is a highly configurable memory subsystem IP that enables significant improvements in power efficiency, performance, intelligence, and endurance.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
This port inside the vehicle connects to various subsystems and allows small receivers to access the car's computer system.
—Marley Malenfant, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for subsystem
Cite this Entry
“Subsystem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsystem. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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