|
  • Search Results
  • Advanced Search
  • List Builder
  • Random Word

subordinate

Subordinate means putting one thing below another––a subordinate is someone who works for someone else, and to subordinate means to place or rank one thing below another. "We subordinate our desire for popcorn to our desire to keep watching the movie."

The ordinate part of subordinate refers to an ordering of things, and sub- means "lower." "In the army, a private is subordinate to an officer, whether that officer is his direct commander or not." When it's a noun or adjective, the word is pronounced "suh-BOR-duh-nit," and when it's a verb, "suh-BOR-duh-nate."

DEFINITIONS OF: subordinate

1

n an assistant subject to the authority or control of another

Synonyms:
foot soldier, subsidiary, underling
Types:
show 5 types...
hide 5 types...
associate
a person with subordinate membership in a society, institution, or commercial enterprise
bottom dog
a person of low status
cog
a subordinate who performs an important but routine function
man
a male subordinate
second banana, second fiddle
someone who serves in a subordinate capacity or plays a secondary role
Type of:
assistant, help, helper, supporter
a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose

n a word that is more specific than a given word

Synonyms:
hyponym, subordinate word
Type of:
word
a unit of language that native speakers can identify

adj lower in rank or importance

Synonyms:
low-level
adjunct, assistant
of or relating to a person who is subordinate to another
associate
having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status
secondary
belonging to a lower class or rank
under
lower in rank, power, or authority
inferior
of or characteristic of low rank or importance
Antonyms:
dominant
exercising influence or control
ascendant, ascendent, dominating
most powerful or important or influential
controlling
able to control or determine policy
governing
responsible for making and enforcing rules and laws
overriding, paramount, predominant, predominate, preponderant, preponderating
having superior power and influence
possessive
having or showing a desire to control or dominate
sovereign, supreme
greatest in status or authority or power
superior
(sometimes followed by `to') not subject to or influenced by
superior
of or characteristic of high rank or importance
show more antonyms...

adj subject or submissive to authority or the control of another

“a subordinate kingdom”
Synonyms
submissive
inclined or willing to submit to orders or wishes of others or showing such inclination
low-level
lower in rank or importance
feudatory
owing feudal allegiance to or being subject to a sovereign
ruled
subject to a ruling authority
dependent, subject
being under the power or sovereignty of another or others
subservient
compliant and obedient to authority
Antonyms:
insubordinate
not submissive to authority
defiant, noncompliant
boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
contumacious
wilfully obstinate; stubbornly disobedient
disobedient, unruly
unwilling to submit to authority
mutinous
disposed to or in a state of mutiny
rebellious
resisting control or authority
show more antonyms...

adj (of a clause) unable to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence

Synonyms:
dependent
Antonyms:
independent, main
(of a clause) capable of standing syntactically alone as a complete sentence

v rank or order as less important or consider of less value

“Art is sometimes subordinated to Science in these schools”
Types:
outclass
cause to appear in a lower class
Type of:
grade, order, place, range, rank, rate
assign a rank or rating to

v make subordinate, dependent, or subservient

“Our wishes have to be subordinated to that of our ruler”
Synonyms:
subdue
Type of:
lour, lower
set lower
Learn Launch
WORD FAMILY
USAGE EXAMPLES