English Meaning & Definitions
Lower in rank or position.
- “He viewed all other issues as subordinate to the main goal of survival.”
- “A corporal is subordinate to a sergeant.”
A person under the authority or control of another within an organization.
- “The manager always treats her subordinates with respect and fairness.”
- “He delegated the tedious paperwork to a trusted subordinate.”
Treat or regard as of lesser importance than something else.
- “She had to subordinate her personal feelings to the demands of the project.”
- “We cannot subordinate safety to cost-cutting measures.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “subordinate”.
Derived from Late Latin 'subordinatus', past participle of 'subordinare', formed from the prefix 'sub-' (under) plus 'ordinare' (to arrange, order), from 'ordo' (order, rank).
Think of 'sub' (under) plus 'ordinate' (to put in order)—placing someone or something under your order in the hierarchy.
Frequently Asked Questions About “subordinate”
1. What is the meaning of “subordinate” in English?
In English, subordinate (adjective) is defined as: “Lower in rank or position.”.
2. How do you use “subordinate” in a sentence?
“He viewed all other issues as subordinate to the main goal of survival.”
3. What are English synonyms of “subordinate”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “subordinate”?
Derived from Late Latin 'subordinatus', past participle of 'subordinare', formed from the prefix 'sub-' (under) plus 'ordinare' (to arrange, order), from 'ordo' (order, rank).
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.
A specific duration of time equivalent to one hour and forty-six minutes.