inferiors

noun

plural of inferior
as in subordinates
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another she is nice to her inferiors as well as to her superiors

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of inferiors That comes to the Philippines in the form of war, as well as through the invocation, or establishment, of American-style modes of government and education that place Filipinos along this racial hierarchy, identifying them as these inferiors that need to be taught how to govern themselves. — Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferiors
  1. subordinates
  2. underlings
Noun
  • Mayor Dean Trantalis, Commissioner Steven Glassman and Commissioner John Herbst took issue with her leadership, accusing her of being dismissive to subordinates and ruffling too many feathers.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 July 2026
  • Put simply, the theory says the president should be able to issue orders to subordinates and to fire them at will.
    — Graham G. Dodds, The Conversation, 30 June 2026
Definition of subordinates
Noun
  • Rumors of relationships between executives and underlings went around on campus.
    — Claire Stapleton, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival gets underway this weekend with Illumination’s Minions & Monsters, the latest movie devoted to the mischievous army of yellow underlings first introduced in 2010 breakout Despicable Me.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 19 June 2026
Definition of underlings

Browse Nearby Words

inferiorly
inferiors
infernal
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Cite this Entry

“Inferiors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferiors. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on inferiors

Nglish: Translation of inferiors for Spanish Speakers

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