subordinate
adjective
placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank.
subordinates
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pluralof subordinate.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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present tense formof subordinate (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
subordinateadjectiveplaced in or belonging to a lower order or rank.
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.
The plaintiff sued for money and settled for an apology plus something his complaint never requested and no court could have awarded: immunity, granted by his own subordinates.
From Slate ● Aug. 10, 2026
Wasn’t it true, a juror asked, that he had taken to delegating tasks to subordinates in recent years?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He has dismissed encouraging American-style consumerism and warned subordinates against raising a generation of “lazy people.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 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
Stalin often managed to shrug off the blame for his actions onto his subordinates or the Communist Party itself.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
