subsystem

noun

sub·​sys·​tem ˈsəb-ˌsi-stəm How to pronounce subsystem (audio)
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
Voyager 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

Examples of subsystem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web More than 81 percent of the subsystems, satellite ground stations and software in the 6A project, which is of great importance for the future of our country in space, have been produced by Turkey with national resources. William Harwood, CBS News, 8 July 2024 Del Toro is right to push Congress to buy more ships and their subsystems from faster-moving foreign manufacturers. Editorial Board, Washington Post, 24 June 2024 Voyager 1’s plasma-wave subsystem and magnetometer bounced back immediately. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 14 June 2024 Once on board, Wilmore and Williams will stay at the ISS for about a week to test the Starliner spacecraft and its subsystems. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 5 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for subsystem 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subsystem.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subsystem was in 1756

Dictionary Entries Near subsystem

Cite this Entry

“Subsystem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsystem. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

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