subordination

American  

[suh-bawr-dn-ey-shuhn] / səˌbɔr dnˈeɪ ʃən /

Sometimes subordinacy

noun

1. the act of placing in a lower rank or position.

   The refusal to allow women to be educated was part of society's subordination of women to men.

2. the act of subordinating, or of making dependent, secondary, or subservient.

3. the condition of being subordinated, or made dependent, secondary, or subservient.

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subordination Cultural  

1. The use of expressions that make one element of a sentence dependent on another. In the following sentence, the first (italicized) clause (also called a subordinate clause) is subordinate to the second clause: “Despite all efforts toward a peaceful settlement of the dispute, war finally broke out.” (Compare coordination, dependent clause, and independent clause.)

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Other Word Forms

• nonsubordination
  noun
• presubordination
  noun
• self-subordination
  noun

Etymology

Origin of subordination

First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin subordination-, stem of subordinatio, equivalent to Medieval Latin subōrdināt(us), past participle of subōrdināre subordinate ( def. ) + -iō -ion ( def. )

Explanation

Subordination means lowering. In animal packs, gestures of subordination include staying low and making gestures of play. In the military, one shows subordination by saluting first. You are more likely to be familiar with the opposite of subordination, insubordination. In the military, acts of insubordination means refusing to follow your superior and is a punishable crime. The 1920s finalized the subordination of investigations into ESP and the like. They were discredited and stopped being investigated by mainstream scientists.

Example Sentences

"We swear absolute loyalty and subordination," said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, who presented Rodriguez with the ceremonial baton and sword of independence hero Simon Bolivar.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

When a securitized bond is backed by B-rated loans but structured as AAA through subordination and over-collateralization, Morningstar shows the underlying loan quality.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 7, 2025

Terms requiring unanimous lender consent before any lien subordination jumped 23 percentage points in the third quarter and now appear in 84% of all credit deals.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 27, 2025

"Coordination yes, subordination no," she said, summarising her vision of relations with the US back in March.

From BBC • May 31, 2024

Humans are, of course, vastly more complicated; even in situations of extreme subordination, we can pump up our self-esteem with thoughts of our families, our religion, our hopes for the future.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich