subjugate

sub·jug·ate
S1U1B3J8U1G2A1T1E1
UK/ˈsʌbd͡ʒʊɡət/US/ˈsʌbd͡ʒəɡət/UK/ˈsʌbd͡ʒʊɡeɪt/US/ˈsʌbd͡ʒəˌɡeɪt/

adjective

Forced into submission; subjugated.

UncommonScrabble 19

Meanings

subjugate1

adjectivesubjugate (not comparable)
  1. not comparableForced into submission; subjugated.

    For al their hye mynde they be now ſubiugate: […]

    1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The Table of Verbes”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio ccclxxix, recto, column 2; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC
    4 more examples

    After the Romans, the Saxons brought it [Lancashire] vnder their protection, and held it for a part of their Northumbrian Kingdome, till it vvas firſt made ſubiugate to the Inuaſion of the Danes, and then conquered by the victorious Normans, vvhoſe poſterities from thence are branched further into England.

    1612 (indicated as 1611), Iohn Speed [i.e., John Speed], “Lanca-shire”, in The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britaine: Presenting an Exact Geography of the Kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland, and the Iles Adioyning: […], London: […] [William Hall] and are to be solde by John Sudbury & Georg[e] Humble, […], →OCLC, book I (The British Ilands, […]), paragraph 5, page 75, column 1

    […] Could it be, that the whole earthly course of one so gentle, good, and self-denying, was subjugate to such a wretch as that!

    1854, Charles Dickens, “The Old Woman”, in Hard Times. For These Times, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], →OCLC, 1st book (Sowing), page 96

    Her heart was so black and tangled in the teaching, her personal self was shut in prison, abolished, she was subjugate to a bad, destructive will.

    1915 September 30, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Man’s World”, in The Rainbow, New York, N.Y.: The Modern Library, published 1915, →OCLC, page 362

    Each nationalist struggle assumed the complexion of a Communist versus non-Communist conflict rather than one between a colonial imperium and a subjugate indigenous population intent on their independence.

    2010, James M. Volo, A History of War Resistance in America, Santa Barbara, Calif.: Greenwood, →ISBN, page 17
nounsubjugate (plural subjugates)

plural subjugates

  1. rareA person forced into submission; a subject.

    [T]he home-loving Phillipino succumbed—the independent agent, under the influence of the "final cry," became the subjugate.

    1907, John J[ames] Van Nostrand, chapter 3, in Prefatory Lessons in a Mechanical Philosophy (Nature’s Legal Code): The Philosophy of the Home, Chicago, Ill.: [T]he author […], →OCLC, page 15

subjugate2

verbsubjugate (third-person singular simple present subjugates, present participle subjugating, simple past and past participle subjugated)

present singular third person subjugates · participle present subjugating · participle past subjugated · past subjugated · first person past singular subjugated · archaic present second person singular subjugatest · past second person singular subjugated · archaic past second person singular subjugatedst · present singular third person subjugates · archaic present singular third person subjugateth · past singular third person subjugated · past plural subjugated · past subjunctive subjugated · participle present subjugating · participle past subjugated

  1. transitiveTo forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.).

    O fav'rite Virgin, that haſt vvarm'd the Breaſt, / VVhoſe ſov'reign Dictates ſubjugate the Eaſt!

    1718, Mat[thew] Prior, “Solomon on the Vanity of the World. A Poem in Three Books.”, in Poems on Several Occasions, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], and John Barber […], →OCLC, book II (Pleasure), page 438
    5 more examples

    From infancy through childhood's giddy maze, / Frovvard at ſchool, and fretful in his plays, / The puny tyrant burns to ſubjugate / The free republic of the vvhip-gig ſtate.

    1782, William Cowper, “Hope”, in Poems, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], →OCLC, page 151

    At this the Emir marvelled beyond measure and said, "Glory be to God who subjugateth His creatures to the dominion of Death!"

    1885, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “The City of Brass. [Night 576.]”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume VI, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC, page 115

    So the battle went on till her heart was sick. She had several more boys to subjugate before she could establish herself.

    1915 September 30, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Man’s World”, in The Rainbow, New York, N.Y.: The Modern Library, published 1915, →OCLC, page 382

    [I]nstead of homogeneity, we see powerful asymmetries – men subjugating women, whites subjugating blacks, Christians subjugating Jews, Jews subjugating Arabs, and so on.

    2002, Farhad Dalal, “Peeking into the Consulting Room”, in Race, Colour and the Processes of Racialization: New Perspectives from Group Analysis, Psychoanalysis and Sociology, Hove, East Sussex; New York, N.Y.: Brunner-Routledge, →ISBN, paragraph 6, page 78

    Other nationalisms aimed at liberating subjugated peoples who spoke the same language and lived in the same territory.

    2002 November 21, Amos Elon, “Israelis & Palestinians: What Went Wrong?”, in The New York Review, archived from the original on 09 May 2021

    Synonyms: enthrall, subdue, underyoke, vanquish

  2. transitiveTo make (someone or something) subordinate to another person or thing; to subordinate.

    [H]is ſoul hath ſubjugated Martius ſoul: […]

    c. 1608–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, “Four Playes, or Morall Representations, in One”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, page 28, column 1
    4 more examples

    [H]e wil needes haue ſubiects, before he can ſubiugate his affections, and couets the office of a commander, before he hath learned to ſtoupe to the admonitions of his elders, […]

    [1589?], Cutbert Curry-knaue [pseudonym; Thomas Nashe], An Almond for a Parrat, or Cutbert Curry-knaues Almes. […], [London]: […] [Eliot’s Court Press], →OCLC, folio 9, verso

    […] Sulphur, is not as much ſubjugated by the Form of the intire Body, as that of the purgative portion of Rhubarb, by the Form of that Drugg.

    1667, Robert Boyle, “Free Considerations about Subordinate Formes, as They are Wont to be Maintain’d by Divers Learned Modernes”, in The Origine of Formes and Qualities, (According to the Corpuscular Philosophy,) Illustrated by Considerations and Experiments, […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall printer to the University, for Ric[hard] Davis, →OCLC, page 298

    [H]is love and his hatred were of that passionate fervour which subjugates all the rest of the being, and makes a man sacrifice himself to his passion as if it were a deity to be worshipped with self-destruction.

    1862 July – 1863 August, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “After-thoughts”, in Romola. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1863, →OCLC, book II, page 29

    Mr [John Stuart] Stuart-Glennie regards the slave-morality as an invention of the superior white race to subjugate the minds of the inferior races whom they wished to exploit, and who would have destroyed them by force of numbers if their minds had not been subjugated.

    1905, [George] Bernard Shaw, “Preface to Major Barbara: First Aid to Critics”, in John Bull’s Other Island and Major Barbara: Also How He Lied to Her Husband, London: Archibald Constable & Co., published 1907, →OCLC, Act, page 153
  3. transitiveTo tame (an animal); to domesticate.

    [T]hou subjugatest or destroyest the beasts that would annoy thee, and convertest to thy use all their spoils, as well as all vegetable productions.

    1831, John Epps, chapter VII, in The Life of John Walker, M.D., […], London: Whittaker, Treacher, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 191
    1 more example

    Though of all other viſible Creatures Man ſeems the leaſt provided vvith natural offenſive Organs, yet by the advantage of his intellectual Faculty and that admirable Organum organorum his Hand, he is infinitely advantaged vvith artificial helps to defend himſelf, and ſubjugate the moſt contumacious and furious Brute: […]

    a. 1677 (date written), Matthew Hale, “A Farther Enquiry Touching the End of the Formation of Man, so Far as the Same may be Collected by Natural Light and Ratiocination”, in The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, →OCLC, section IV, page 371
  4. figurativelyobsoleteraretransitiveTo put (one's neck or shoulders) under a metaphorical yoke.

    Let ſuch Princes I ſay adhere to the Pope, & ſubiugate their neckes to his trampling, […]

    1611, [attributed to Francis Burton], “A Post-script to the Wel Affected Reader”, in The Fierie Tryall of Gods Saints; […] as a Counter-poyze to I[ohn] W[ilsof] Priest His English Martyrologe. And the Detestable Ends of Popish Traytors: […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot and Thomas Creede] for Arthur Iohnson, →OCLC, page 9

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.).

More synonyms by meaning

verbput down by force or intimidation

verbmake subservient; force to submit or subdue

Similar

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

subjugate · adjective, noun

  1. Proto-Indo-European*yewg-“to tie together, join, yoke”
  2. Latinsubiugātus
  3. Middle Englishsubiugat(e)
  4. Englishsubjugate

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English subiugat(e), subjugat(e) (“made submissive; obedient”), the past participle of subiugaten, subjugaten (“to conquer; to subdue”), from Latin subiugātus, subjugātus (“subjugated”), the perfect passive participle of subiugō, subjugō (“to make subject, subjugate”), from sub- (prefix meaning ‘under’) + iugō, jugō (“to join; to yoke”) (from iugum (“collar for a horse; yoke for cattle”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *yewg- (“to tie together, join, yoke”)) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)). Doublet of yoke. The noun is derived from the adjective.

Full word history & related roots →

subjugate · verb

  1. Latinsubiugātus
  2. Middle Englishsubiugate
  3. Englishsubjugate

From Late Middle English subiugate, subjugaten (“to conquer; to subdue”), from Latin subiugātus, subjugātus (“subjugated”): see further at etymology 1. The verb is attested slightly later than the adjective.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اِسْتَعْبَدَ, قَهَرَ
  • اِسْتَعْبَدَ (istaʕbada)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • قَهَرَ (qahara)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Bulgarian подчиня́вам, подчиня́
  • подчиня́вам (podčinjávam)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • подчиня́ (podčinjá)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • покоря́вам (pokorjávam)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • покоря́ (pokorjá)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • поро́бвам (poróbvam)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Catalan subjugar
  • subjugarto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Chinese Mandarin 征服, 制服
  • 征服 (zhēngfú)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • 制服 (zhìfú)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • 制伏 (zhìfú)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Czech podmanit si, podrobit si
  • podmanit sito forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • podrobit sito forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • podřídit sito forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Dutch onderwerpen
  • onderwerpento forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Finnish alistettu, alistaa
  • alistettuforced into submission
  • alistaato forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
French subjugué, subjuguer
  • subjuguéforced into submission
  • subjuguerto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • assujettirto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
German unterjochen, unterwerfen
  • unterjochento forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • unterwerfento forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Hebrew הכפיף
  • הכפיף (hikhpíf)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Hungarian leigáz
  • leigázto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Italian soggiogare
  • soggiogareto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Latin subiugātus, subiugō
  • subiugātusforced into submission
  • subiugōto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • redūcōto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Māori pāpā, pēhi
  • pāpāto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • pēhito forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • tāmito forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • whakataurekarekato forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Norwegian Bokmål underkaste, underkue
  • underkasteto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • underkueto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • underleggeto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Persian منقاد کردن
  • منقاد کردن (monqâd kardan)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Polish podporządkowywać, podporządkować
  • podporządkowywaćto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • podporządkowaćto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • zniewalaćto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • zniewolićto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Portuguese subjugar
  • subjugarto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Romanian subjuga
  • subjugato forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Russian порабощать, подчинять
  • порабощать (poraboščatʹ)forced into submission
  • подчинять (podčinjatʹ)forced into submission
  • подчиня́ть (podčinjátʹ)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • подчини́ть (podčinítʹ)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • покоря́ть (pokorjátʹ)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • покори́ть (pokorítʹ)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • порабоща́ть (poraboščátʹ)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • поработи́ть (porabotítʹ)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Spanish sojuzgar
  • sojuzgarto forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Swedish underkuva
  • underkuvato forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Ukrainian підкоря́ти, підкори́ти
  • підкоря́ти (pidkorjáty)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • підкори́ти (pidkorýty)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • підпорядко́вувати (pidporjadkóvuvaty)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • підпорядкува́ти (pidporjadkuváty)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
  • понево́лювати (ponevóljuvaty)to forcibly impose obedience, servitude, or submission upon (a country, a people, etc.)
Cite this entry
APA

subjugate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subjugate

MLA

“subjugate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subjugate. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “subjugate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subjugate.

Source: subjugate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.