subordinate

1 of 3

adjective

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət 

-ˈbȯrd-nət

1

: placed in or occupying a lower class, rank, or position : inferior

a subordinate officer

2

: submissive to or controlled by authority

3

a

: of, relating to, or constituting a clause that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb

b

: subordinating

subordinately adverb

subordinateness noun

subordinate

2 of 3

noun

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət 

-ˈbȯrd-nət

: one who stands in order or rank below another : one that is subordinate

subordinate

3 of 3

verb

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯr-də-ˌnāt 

subordinated; subordinating

transitive verb

1

: to make subject or subservient

2

: to treat as of less value or importance

stylist … whose crystalline prose subordinates content to form

—Susan Heath

subordinative

sə-ˈbȯr-də-ˌnā-tiv 

adjective

Synonyms

Adjective

• lesser
• less
• smaller
• lower

Noun

• underling
• inferior
• junior
• minion
• henchman
• assistant
• sidekick

Verb

• subject
• dominate
• subdue
• conquer
• defeat

Examples of subordinate in a Sentence

Adjective

About two-thirds of the way through, this nonsense comes to life for fifteen minutes when the point of view shifts to that of a subordinate character, an aging thug (well played by Laurence Fishburne) who is employed by the casino to spot card counters. —Richard Alleva, Commonweal, May 9, 2008

A reporter's right to protect a source is a subordinate matter that obfuscates the more important issue of violating journalistic integrity and responsibility when one becomes an agent, if not a pawn, of a mean-spirited and vindictive retaliation scheme. —Jon Duffey, Editor & Publisher, 13 Oct. 2003

She was thirty-three, furiously frustrated with her subordinate role in the studio—attending to the model's hair, makeup, and clothes—and chronically dissatisfied with her own pictures, which represented a different kind of woman's work. —Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2003

his contention is that environment plays a subordinate role to heredity in determining what we become

Noun

Case in point: the dismissal of advertising chief Julie Roehm, accused of having an affair with a subordinate (also fired) and taking freebies from an advertising agency (also fired) in violation of company policies. —Bill Saporito, Time, 12 Nov. 2007

He ran an extremely unhappy headquarters. He tended to berate subordinates, frequently shouting and cursing at them. —Thomas E. Ricks, Fiasco, 2006

She also found it impossible to give negative feedback. As a consequence, her work and that of her subordinates started to suffer, and she was missing deadlines. —Steven Berglas, Harvard Business Review, June 2002

She leaves the day-to-day running of the firm to her subordinates.

subordinates do most of the actual creation of the famous designer's clothing designs

Verb

Clinton administration Trade Representative Mickey Kantor declared: "The days when we could afford to subordinate our economic interests to foreign policy or defense concerns are long past." —Lawrence F. Kaplan, New Republic, 18 Mar. 2002

The real reason, though, is that art survives life, and this unpalatable realization lies behind the lumpen desire to subordinate the former to the latter. The finite always mistakes the permanent for the infinite and nurtures designs upon it. —Joseph Brodsky, Times Literary Supplement, 26 Oct. 1990

it is one of the lessons of history that more powerful civilizations often subordinate weaker ones

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The San Diego readiness center is a subordinate command of the NIFR, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. —Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

Rella explained to the Post that there could be a claim if a person in a subordinate position thought they were being unfairly targeted. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 18 July 2025

Noun

Former Pflugerville Police Chief Jason O’Malley pointed a gun at a subordinate inside a police building this year, according to a third-party investigation that spurred O'Malley and two commanders to exit the force. —Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025

Why this is happening is clear from a radio intercept about a similar incident, shared with CNN, in which a Russian commander can clearly be heard ordering a subordinate be tied up in this way as punishment for desertion. —Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 28 July 2025

Verb

Read More: What Trump’s Win Means for the Economy This is far from the first time Trump has subordinated statistical integrity to political theater. —Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 2 Aug. 2025

Russia’s foreign policy has become subordinated to three goals: building alliances to support its war effort, sustaining an economy targeted by sanctions, and taking revenge on the West for its support of Ukraine. —Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English subordinat, from Medieval Latin subordinatus, past participle of subordinare to subordinate, from Latin sub- + ordinare to order — more at ordain

Verb

Medieval Latin subordinatus — see subordinate entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1640, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing subordinate

• subordinate clause

Rhymes for subordinate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

Kids Definition

subordinate

1 of 3 adjective

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ət 

-ˈbȯrd-nət

1

: placed in or occupying a lower class or rank

a subordinate officer

2

: yielding to or controlled by authority

3

a

: of, relating to, or being a clause that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb

b

: subordinating

subordinately adverb

subordinateness noun

subordinate

2 of 3 noun

: one that is subordinate

subordinate

3 of 3 verb

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt 

subordinated; subordinating

: to make subordinate

subordination

-ˌbȯrd-ᵊn-ˈā-shən 

noun

subordinative

-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt-iv 

adjective

Legal Definition

subordinate

1 of 2 adjective

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ət 

1

: placed in or occupying a lower rank, class, or position

2

: submissive to or controlled by authority

subordinate

2 of 2 transitive verb

sub·​or·​di·​nate sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt 

subordinated; subordinating

: to assign lower priority to (as a debt or creditor) : postpone satisfaction of until after satisfaction of another

the equitable assignee will be subordinated to the rights of the assignor's trustee in bankruptcy

—J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo