subcommittee

American  

[suhb-kuh-mit-ee] / ˈsʌb kəˌmɪt i /

noun

1. a secondary committee appointed out of a main committee.

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subcommittee British  

/ ˈsʌbkəˌmɪtɪ /

noun

1. a distinct and often subordinate division of a committee

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Etymology

Origin of subcommittee

First recorded in 1600–10; sub- + committee

Explanation

When a big working group of people breaks down into smaller groups, those are subcommittees. In government, subcommittees help legislators focus on specific issues, like agriculture or education. The word subcommittee adds the prefix sub-, or "under," to committee — the main committee, or group, is like an umbrella that encompasses every subcommittee below it. You might be on the "wacky candid photos" subcommittee of the Yearbook Club, meaning you're focusing on finding goofy pictures of your classmates, but you're also part of the larger yearbook group. U.S. senators who are on the Appropriations Committee will also be part of a subcommittee, like Science, Labor, or Energy.

Example Sentences

At an arts and parks subcommittee meeting Tuesday morning, some members of the public urged Jurado to act and introduce the ordinance for a vote, while others encouraged her to drop it.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

And there was an incident this week while McConnell was chairing his defense appropriations subcommittee hearing.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

This week, pressed by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., during an appearance before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee, Patel denied any such targeting campaign.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

Bessent was testifying Wednesday on the Treasury Department’s budget request at a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

In the world of the Golden Fleece Debating Society and the Underprivileged Local Children subcommittee of the Good Samaritan Confraternity, this had created no problems.

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles