subordinate

[suh-bawr-dn-it, suh-bawr-dn-eyt]

adjective

1. placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank.

2. of less importance; secondary.

   Synonyms: ancillary
   Antonyms: primary, superior

3. subject to or under the authority of a superior.

4. subservient or inferior.

5. subject; dependent.

6. Grammar.

   1. acting as a modifier, as when I finished, which is subordinate to They were glad in They were glad when I finished.

   2. noting or pertaining to a subordinating conjunction.

7. Obsolete.,  submissive.

noun

1. a subordinate person or thing.

   Synonyms: inferior

verb (used with object)

subordinated, subordinating 

1. to place in a lower order or rank.

   Synonyms: reduce, lower

2. to make secondary (usually followed byto ).

   to subordinate work to pleasure.

3. to make subject, subservient, or dependent (usually followed byto ).

   to subordinate passion to reason.

subordinate

adjective

1. of lesser order or importance

2. under the authority or control of another

   a subordinate functionary

noun

1. a person or thing that is subordinate

verb

1. to put in a lower rank or position (than)

2. to make subservient

   to subordinate mind to heart

Other Word Forms

• subordinative adjective
• subordinately adverb
• subordination noun
• subordinateness noun
• subordinacy noun
• nonsubordinate adjective
• nonsubordinating adjective
• presubordinate verb (used with object)
• self-subordinating adjective
• unsubordinate adjective
• unsubordinative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of subordinate¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English adjective subordynat, from Medieval Latin subōrdinātus, past participle of subōrdināre “to subordinate,” equivalent to Latin sub- “under, below, beneath” + ōrdin- (stem of ōrdō ) “rank, order” + -ātus past participle suffix; sub-, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of subordinate¹

C15: from Medieval Latin subordināre, from Latin _sub- + ordō rank

Example Sentences

Since taking power in 2012, Xi has packed the leadership with loyalists, sidelined subordinates who owed their rise to predecessors and even cashiered some of his own protégés.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Congress and the judiciary are coequal with, not subordinate to, the president.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In 2021, an agent filed a complaint against Young accusing him of making “volatile, unprofessional phone calls” and “inappropriate comments” toward subordinates, according to an e-mail reviewed by The Times.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Most U.S. public companies prohibit executives from dating subordinates and many have strict rules around executives and managers disclosing such relationships.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Put simply, the theory says the president should be able to issue orders to subordinates and to fire them at will.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• aide 
• assistant 
• deputy 
• servant 
• underling