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.

---

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

It owns a majority stake in a lender called International Senior Loan Program, consisting of equity and subordinated notes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 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

Tribes, recently independent and now variously subordinated to national states, still occupy much of New Guinea, Melanesia, and Amazonia.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond