Showing results for "subordinated"

• past participle of subordinate.
• past tense form of subordinate.

subordinated

American  

[suh-bawr-dn-ey-tid] / səˈbɔr dnˌeɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. made secondary or subservient.

   Most college programs are geared to those aged 18 to 24, leaving others in a subordinated position in the system.

   She refused to settle for a subordinated life as an “office lady,” making copies and coffee for male coworkers and superiors.

2. Finance. being or relating to a debt whose holder is ranked below secured and general creditors with respect to priority of payment.

   Typically, in liquidation, subordinated debentures come after short-term debt.

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Other Word Forms

• unsubordinated
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of subordinated

First recorded in 1640–50 subordinated for def. 1; 1920–25 subordinated for def. 2; subordinate ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

subordinated

A press release from EFG refers to "approximately 232.6 million euros of subordinated debt".

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

“The subordinated side of the bank bond spectrum remains most vulnerable to further adjustment, in our view.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

In his post on X, he said that "the fight against drugs must be subordinated to the human rights of the Caribbean people".

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025

That climate of deference fostered a culture of complicity, where questions of social responsibility were subordinated to uncritical faith in authority.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2025

Consequently, we frequently find senior mathematical, engineering, and scientific people ardently wooed by industry and then subordinated to newly minted M.B.A.s and accountants.

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos