subordination

noun

sub·​or·​di·​na·​tion sə-ˌbȯr-də-ˈnā-shən How to pronounce subordination (audio)
: placement in a lower class, rank, or position : the act or process of subordinating someone or something or the state of being subordinated
As a prescriptive text, moreover, the Bible has been interpreted as justifying the subordination of women to men.Cullen Murphy
The price is individual subordination to the group and limited autonomy of the nuclear family.Corinne N. Nydegger
After 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

Examples of subordination in a Sentence

an oligarchy requires subordination by the masses to the will of a tiny elite
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The armed forces have never aspired or organized to overthrow the government, and their professional ethos of subordination to civilian control is deeply ingrained. Kori Schake, The Atlantic, 30 Nov. 2024 The only way to avoid a subordination discount is to be capital-efficient. Michael Szalontay, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 What this adds up to, Payne argues, is the near-total subordination of political discourse to group identities. Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024 Because of the Palestinians’ statelessness and the PA’s subordination to Israel, no Palestinian leader can influence outcomes in the same ways that an Israeli or U.S. counterpart can. Khaled Elgindy, Foreign Affairs, 30 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for subordination 

Word History

First Known Use

1595, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subordination was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near subordination

Cite this Entry

“Subordination.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subordination. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Legal Definition

subordination

noun
sub·​or·​di·​na·​tion sə-ˌbȯrd-ᵊn-ˈā-shən How to pronounce subordination (audio)
: an act or instance of subordinating
also : the remedy of subordinating a claim see also equitable subordination

More from Merriam-Webster on subordination

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