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• sub
  sub

  noun

  a submarine.
• SUB
  SUB

  abbreviation

  supplemental unemployment benefits.
• sub-
  sub-

  a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin (subject; subtract; subvert; subsidy ); on this model, freely attached to elements of any origin and used with the meaning “under,” “below,” “beneath” (subalpine; substratum ), “slightly,” “imperfectly,” “nearly” (subcolumnar; subtropical ), “secondary,” “subordinate” (subcommittee; subplot ).
• sub.
  sub.

  abbreviation

  subordinated.
• sub–
  sub–

  A prefix that means “underneath or lower” (as in subsoil), “a subordinate or secondary part of something else” (as in subphylum.), or “less than completely” (as in subtropical.)

sub

¹ American  

[suhb] / sʌb /

noun

• subs
  plural

1. a submarine.

2. a substitute.

   We've got a sub in English this week because our teacher's home with the flu.

3. a submarine sandwich.

4. a submissive in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.

5. a subcontractor.

6. a sublieutenant.

7. a subordinate.

8. a subaltern.

9. British. an advance against one's wages, especially one granted as a subsistence allowance.

10. Photography. a substratum.

11. a subscriber.

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verb (used without object)

• subs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• subbed,
  past participle,  past
• subbing
  present participle

1. to act as a substitute for another.

2. to act as the submissive partner in a BDSM sexual encounter or relationship.

verb (used with object)

• subs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• subbed,
  past participle,  past
• subbing
  present participle

1. Photography. to coat (a film or plate) with a substratum.

SUB ² American  

abbreviation

1. supplemental unemployment benefits.

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sub- ³ American  

1. a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin (subject; subtract; subvert; subsidy ); on this model, freely attached to elements of any origin and used with the meaning “under,” “below,” “beneath” (subalpine; substratum ), “slightly,” “imperfectly,” “nearly” (subcolumnar; subtropical ), “secondary,” “subordinate” (subcommittee; subplot ).

2. Chemistry.

   1. a prefix indicating a basic compound.

      subacetate; subcarbonate; subnitrate.

   2. a prefix indicating that the element is present in a relatively small proportion, i.e., in a low oxidation state.

      subchloride; suboxide.

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sub. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. subordinated.

2. subscription.

3. substitute.

4. suburb.

5. suburban.

6. subway.

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sub- ¹ British  

prefix

1. situated under or beneath

   subterranean

2. secondary in rank; subordinate

   subeditor

3. falling short of; less than or imperfectly

   subarctic

   subhuman

4. forming a subdivision or subordinate part of a whole

   subcommittee

5. 1. indicating that a compound contains a relatively small proportion of a specified element

      suboxide

   2. indicating that a salt is basic salt

      subacetate

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sub. ² British  

abbreviation

1. subeditor

2. subito (in music)

3. subscription

4. substitute

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sub ³ British  

/ sʌb /

noun

1. short for several words beginning with sub- See subaltern subeditor submarine subordinate subscription substandard substitute substratum

2. Formal term: subsistence allowance.  informal an advance payment of wages or salary

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verb

1. (intr) to serve as a substitute

2. informal (intr) to act as a substitute (for)

3. informal to grant or receive (an advance payment of wages or salary)

4. informal (tr) short for subedit

5. (tr) photog to apply a substratum to (a film or plate base)

sub– Scientific  

1. A prefix that means “underneath or lower” (as in subsoil), “a subordinate or secondary part of something else” (as in subphylum.), or “less than completely” (as in subtropical.)

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Regionalisms

See hero sandwich.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• subs
  plural

Participles

• subbing
  present
• subbed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sub
  simple
• subs
  simple
• have subbed
  perfect
• has subbed
  perfect
• am subbing
  progressive
• are subbing
  progressive
• is subbing
  progressive
• have been subbing
  perfect progressive
• has been subbing
  perfect progressive

Past

• subbed
  simple
• had subbed
  perfect
• was subbing
  progressive
• were subbing
  progressive
• had been subbing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sub
  simple
• will have subbed
  perfect
• will be subbing
  progressive
• will have been subbing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sub¹

By shortening of words prefixed with sub-

Origin of sub-³

< Latin, combining form representing sub (preposition); akin to Greek hypó; see hypo-

Explanation

If a history buff mentions a sub, she's probably referring to an underwater warship. But if your friend wants a sub for lunch, he hasn't suddenly developed a taste for warships — he just wants a sandwich. Sub is short for submarine, the cylindrical watercraft with rounded ends that can operate deep beneath the water. Sub can also refer to a long sandwich filled with meat, cheese, and veggies; this kind of sub goes by different names in different parts of the country, including hero, hoagie, and grinder. The sub in your geometry classroom is probably just a substitute teacher.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sub SUB sub- sub. subs subbed subbing

However, Jones, who played a key role in Eliud Kipchoge's sub two-hour marathon challenge in 2019, is keen to point out that the science in this area is "behind".

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

The impressive growth has transformed it into the No. 2 sub chain in America, behind Subway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Gen Z diners aren’t as likely to shell out $15 to $20 for a sub combo no matter how many commercials star Danny DeVito and Eli Manning.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

Salman, on as a sub, flew to his right at second slip to hold Cox, one-handed, off Khurram Shahzad.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

One German sub was even sighted off Willemstad at dawn.

From "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor

Emma Davis helps to run The SUB Lisburn, which opened its doors to parents looking cheaper uniforms in 2021.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2023

When they rejoined the sit-in strikers, “maybe 4:30 or 5 p.m., local police officers came in with a restraining order to have the SUB evacuated,” she said.

From Washington Times ● May 16, 2020

The reality was that he and Darcy didn’t have much cushion, and his SUB pay was about to be cut in half, and his GM health benefits were going to run out.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2017

“FUM” is a slang term for F&M;, and SUB stands for “Student Union Board.”

From Washington Times ● Jul. 4, 2015

Thus they, in two long rows, 30,000 of them by the tale, dine joyfully SUB DIO.

From History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 07 by Thomas Carlyle

Due to its unusual climate, the island is rich in biodiversity, serving as a breeding site for southern elephant and sub- Antarctic fur seals.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2025

The fact that these Kraken are still capable of building leads and playing tight sure would indicate that they’re destined for more than this mercurial, sub-.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 27, 2023

Eris “is essentially a sub-, sub-variant of XBB,” according to Pan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2023

Nubia was the name Egyptians gave to the expansive area south of the first cataract and extending into sub- Saharan Africa.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

In "sustain" sus- is a contraction of subs- for sub-.

From New Word-Analysis by William Swinton

"For Deniz it was clear, he gave us a lot in the last game when he was a sub. Deniz doesn't need to be prepared, he can jump in right away."

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

A quick run-down: I adore sunchokes but they're notoriously difficult to find at most stores, so if you need to sub. this out for anything, I'd opt for any other root vegetable.

From Salon ● May 14, 2023

Unperplexed by all the hubbub, Said he: “It’s the guy from Grubhub, Bringing me my favorite pub sub. Just a sandwich, nothing more.”

From Washington Post ● Aug. 8, 2019

“I want to see the difference in a nuclear-powered sub. For me, it’ll be like going on a Carnival Cruise ship,” he said.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 29, 2014

“Since this is the first run, we want to go easy on the sub. We’ll head out from shore and go twenty feet down, make a circle and come back.”

From "Wolfie & Fly" by Cary Fagan

Philly Cheesesteaks, along with new hot Italian subs, have proven popular among younger consumers.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026

Onto the rest: “Maid of Honour” calls back to his failed-but-intriguing experiment in deep house, 2022’s “Honestly, Nevermind,” but subs out that LP’s raver fog for squelchy Miami bass, footwork and ghettotech.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

If the subs have done their jobs but weren’t paid, consider paying them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 25, 2026

Military strategist Eyck Freymann in his new book about defending Taiwan describes subs as “the door-kicker for the rest of the force” in a war with China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026

“Speaking of, there’s a sack with subs on the floor. Grab the pop, too.”

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

“I was subbed out and they applauded me; they were cheering me on a lot, and honestly, I’m really grateful for that,” Lozano said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Even there, I tried to work when my kid was subbed out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

After the goal, U.S. star Christian Pulisic was subbed out after sustaining an apparent leg injury while attempting a shot.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026

So he subbed his substitute, which is always a brave move, and shortly afterwards also took off Saka, who had arguably been Arsenal's best attacking player up until that point.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

Luma subbed her players frequently, to keep them rested and to see which lineups worked best.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Nearing his 126th show, Fedigan has worked his way up the ranks from subbing in as a spotlight operator to overseeing the entire technical production of hit shows like “Chicago.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 27, 2026

But Bellingham Sr felt subbing off his son so early and witnessing what he deemed to be a rather dull style of football was enough to butt heads with Kehl and indirectly criticise Kovac's work.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025

Megyn Kelly, however, defended Carlson, arguing on X that “No one is expecting any of the ppl subbing for Charlie to imitate Charlie.”

From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2025

Importantly, subbing out water for sports drinks is not going to cut it: “It functionally makes very little difference in terms of people’s outcome,” Charlton said.

From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2025

We maintain a ten-point lead throughout, but Coach doesn’t risk subbing in any of the bench—not even when Pennsville calls time-out with only a minute to go.

From "Boy21" by Matthew Quick