subordinate
Americanadjective
-
placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank.
-
of less importance; secondary.
- Synonyms:
- ancillary
-
subject to or under the authority of a superior.
-
subservient or inferior.
-
Grammar.
-
acting as a modifier, as when I finished, which is subordinate to They were glad in They were glad when I finished.
-
noting or pertaining to a subordinating conjunction.
-
-
Obsolete. submissive.
noun
-
subordinates
plural
verb (used with object)
-
subordinates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
subordinated,
past participle, past
-
subordinating
present participle
adjective
-
of lesser order or importance
-
under the authority or control of another
a subordinate functionary
noun
verb
-
to put in a lower rank or position (than)
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to make subservient
to subordinate mind to heart
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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subordinacynoun
-
subordinatenessnoun
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subordinationnoun
-
presubordinateverb (used with object)
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nonsubordinateadjective
-
nonsubordinatingadjective
-
self-subordinatingadjective
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subordinativeadjective
-
unsubordinateadjective
-
unsubordinativeadjective
-
subordinatelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
subordinatesimple
-
subordinatessimple
-
have subordinatedperfect
-
has subordinatedperfect
-
am subordinatingprogressive
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are subordinatingprogressive
-
is subordinatingprogressive
-
have been subordinatingperfect progressive
-
has been subordinatingperfect progressive
Past
-
subordinatedsimple
-
had subordinatedperfect
-
was subordinatingprogressive
-
were subordinatingprogressive
-
had been subordinatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of subordinate
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; see sub-, -ate 1
Explanation
A subordinate is someone who works for someone else. As a verb, to subordinate means to place or rank one thing below another. When you're doing a group project, sometimes you have to subordinate your ideas to the desires of the larger group. The prefix sub- means "lower" and ordinate refers to an ordering of things. In the army, a private is subordinate to an officer. You can also say the private is a subordinate. When it's an adjective or noun, the word is pronounced "suh-BOR-duh-nit." When it's a verb, it’s pronounced "suh-BOR-duh-nate." Don’t subordinate one pronunciation to the other: they're both equally important.
Vocabulary lists containing subordinate
List 1
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Latin Root "sub" Words
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ASVAB Word Knowledge
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A few of the subordinate roles are amateurishly performed, but the main parts are vividly pulled off, and I was generally impressed by the ensemble’s flow and cohesion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
On other matters, it can subordinate profit to the mission and stakeholder interests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Sales volumes recovered, but Nestlé fired Freixe in September 2025 after the company said an internal investigation found he had an undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
He found the role hugely enjoyable, but strategising and giving commands to subordinate players in real time could be "more stressful than real life".
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
His subordinate stands right next to him, looking as blank- minded as ever.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
Mr. Thune’s approach seems to be working, in that it’s speeding through batches of noncontroversial agency subordinates, while preserving the Senate’s right to confirm, or not, the next intended Attorney General.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The November 2024 indictment in New York accused the industrialist and multiple subordinates of deliberately misleading international investors as part of a vast bribery scheme.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Holder, subordinates text and history to state prerogatives.
From Slate ● May 5, 2026
Under this model, leaders give subordinates clear objectives but leave the tactical execution to their discretion.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
The magistrate was harsh with his subordinates, ruthless to his enemies, and pitiless to his people.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
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
But this pivotal friendship is subordinated to the group dynamic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 19, 2025
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
The Mexica were subordinated by a nearby city-state on the shore, and the tlatoani was forced to send Mexica men as conscripts for its wars.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
“We are going to collaborate .. but without subordinating ourselves,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024
He prioritized camaraderie with league officials to burnish his résumé, subordinating WSU’s interests.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 11, 2023
Foti did not respond when asked about Gosar's pattern of subordinating congressional rules to his religion.
From Salon ● Mar. 17, 2023
Subordinate clauses begin with a subordinating word or phrase such as although, because, even if, when, whenever, since, as though, whether, as long as, until, or while.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021
But he bristled at subordinating his personal quest for the truth to the priorities of the group, which included, tediously, the maintenance of the machine.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
