Meanings
comparative more subordinate · superlative most subordinate
- Placed in a lower class, rank, or position.
The several kinds […] and subordinate species of each are easily known.
1695, John Woodward, “(please specify the page)”, in An Essay toward a Natural History of the Earth: And Terrestrial Bodies, Especially Minerals: […], London: […] Ric[hard] Wilkin […], →OCLCSynonyms: lesser, subaltern, petty · Antonyms: superior, superordinate
- Submissive or inferior to, or controlled by authority.
November 9, 1662, Robert South, Of the Creation of Man in the Image of God It was subordinate, not enslaved, to the understanding.
1 more example
However, his main point is clearly that the political organization should be subordinate to the real aspirations of the working class and should not be allowed to claim that it expresses those aspirations by virtue of its own 'scientific' omniscience, regardless of what the empirical 'masses' actually think.
1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume III: The Breakdown, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozkład (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 245Antonyms: insubordinate
- not comparablegrammardependent on and either modifying or complementing the main clause
In the sentence “The barbecue finished before John arrived”, the subordinate clause “before John arrived” specifies the time of the main clause, “The barbecue finished”.
Synonyms: dependent · Antonyms: independent, main
- Descending in a regular series.
plural subordinates
- countableOne who is subordinate.
Synonyms: inferior, junior, report, subaltern, underling, understrapper · Antonyms: boss, commander, leader, manager, superior, superordinate, supervisor
- A hyponym.
Antonyms: hypernym, hyperonym, superordinate
present singular third person subordinates · participle present subordinating · participle past subordinated · past subordinated
- To make subservient or secondary.
- transitivegrammarTo embed (a clause) into another clause that is the main one.
- transitivebusinessTo make of lower priority in order of payment in bankruptcy.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivePlaced in a lower class, rank, or position.
adjectiveSubmissive or inferior to, or controlled by authority.
adjectivedependent on and either modifying or complementing the main clause
nounOne who is subordinate.
nounA hyponym.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivelower in rank or importance
adjectivesubject or submissive to authority or the control of another
adjective(of a clause) unable to stand alone syntactically as a complete sentence
nounan assistant subject to the authority or control of another
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Medieval Latinsubōrdinātus
- Middle Englishsubordinat
- Englishsubordinate
From Middle English subordinat, from Medieval Latin subōrdinātus, past participle of subōrdināre, from sub- + ōrdināre (“to order”).
More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian низш, второстепенен
- низш (nizš)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- второстепенен (vtorostepenen)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- подчинен (podčinen)submissive to or controlled by authority
- зависим (zavisim)submissive to or controlled by authority
- подчинен (podčinen)grammar: dependent
- подчинен (podčinen)one who is subordinate
- подчинявам (podčinjavam)to make subservient
Catalan subordinat, subordinat
- subordinatgrammar: dependent
- subordinatone who is subordinate
- subordinarto make subservient
Chinese Mandarin 下屬 /下属, 手下
- 下屬 /下属 (xiàshǔ)one who is subordinate
- 手下 (shǒuxià)one who is subordinate
Czech podřízený, podřídit
- podřízenýsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- podříditto make subservient
Danish underordnet, underordnet
- underordnetplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- underordnetsubmissive to or controlled by authority
Dutch ondergeschikt, ondergeschikt
- ondergeschiktplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- ondergeschiktgrammar: dependent
- ondergeschikteone who is subordinate
Esperanto subigi
- subigito make subservient
Finnish alamainen, alamainen
- alamainenplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- alamainensubmissive to or controlled by authority
- alisteinensubmissive to or controlled by authority
- alisteinengrammar: dependent
- alainenone who is subordinate
- väheksyäto treat as of less value or importance
- alistaato make subservient
French subordonné, subordonné
- subordonnéplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- subordonnéone who is subordinate
- subordonnéeone who is subordinate
- subordonnésone who is subordinate
- subordonnéesone who is subordinate
German untergeordnet, nachgeordnet
- untergeordnetplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- nachgeordnetplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- untergeordnetsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- nachgeordnetsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- Untergebeneone who is subordinate
- Befehlsempfängerone who is subordinate
Greek εξαρτημένος, υποτελής
- εξαρτημένος (exartiménos)submissive to or controlled by authority
- υποτελής (ypotelís)submissive to or controlled by authority
- εξαρτημένος (exartiménos)grammar: dependent
- δευτερεύουσα (defterévousa)grammar: dependent
Hindi कनिष्ठ, कनिष्ठ
- कनिष्ठ (kaniṣṭh)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- कनिष्ठ (kaniṣṭh)one who is subordinate
Hungarian alárendelt, beosztott
- alárendeltplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- beosztottone who is subordinate
- alantasone who is subordinate
Irish fo-ordaithe, íochtaránach
- fo-ordaitheplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- íochtaránachplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- fo-ordaithesubmissive to or controlled by authority
- íochtaránachsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- fo-ordaithegrammar: dependent
- fo-ordaighto treat as of less value or importance
- fo-ordaighto make subservient
Japanese 劣後する, 従属する
- 劣後する (retsugo suru)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- 従属する (jūzoku suru)submissive to or controlled by authority
- 付属する (jūzoku suru)submissive to or controlled by authority
- 部下 (buka)one who is subordinate
- 配下 (haika)one who is subordinate
Korean 종속적, 하급의
- 종속적 (jongsokjeok)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- 하급의 (hageubui)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- 부차적 (buchajeok)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- 예속하다 (yesokhada)submissive to or controlled by authority
- 예속되다 causative (yesokdoeda)submissive to or controlled by authority
- 예속적 nominal (yesokjeok)submissive to or controlled by authority
- 의존하다 (uijonhada)grammar: dependent
- 의존적 nominal (uijonjeok)grammar: dependent
- 의존되다 causative (uijondoeda)grammar: dependent
- 부하 (buha)one who is subordinate
- 하급자 (hageupja)one who is subordinate
- 졸개 (jolgae)one who is subordinate
- 얕보다 (yatboda)to treat as of less value or importance
- 낮춰 보다 (natchwo boda)to treat as of less value or importance
- 경시하다 (gyeongsihada)to treat as of less value or importance
- 업신여기다 (eopsinyeogida)to treat as of less value or importance
- 하찮게 여기다 (hachanke yeogida)to treat as of less value or importance
- 종속시키다 (jongsoksikida)to make subservient
- 예속시키다 (yesoksikida)to make subservient
Latin subiectus
- subiectusone who is subordinate
Lithuanian pavaldus, pavaldinys
- pavaldusplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- pavaldinysone who is subordinate
Māori awhenga, pararau
- awhengaone who is subordinate
- pararauone who is subordinate
- whakahāwinito treat as of less value or importance
Persian زیردست, فرودست
- زیردستsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- فرودستsubmissive to or controlled by authority
Polish podrzędny, podwładny
- podrzędnyplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- podwładnyone who is subordinate
Portuguese subordinado, subordinado
- subordinadoplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- subordinadosubmissive to or controlled by authority
- subordinadasubmissive to or controlled by authority
- subordinadogrammar: dependent
- subordinadoone who is subordinate
- subordinarto treat as of less value or importance
- submeterto treat as of less value or importance
- sujeitarto treat as of less value or importance
- subordinarto make subservient
- submeterto make subservient
- subjugarto make subservient
- dominarto make subservient
Romanian subordonat, subordonată
- subordonatplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- subordonatăplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- subordonatsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- subordonatgrammar: dependent
- subalternone who is subordinate
Russian подчинённый, подчинённый
- подчинённый (podčinjónnyj)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- подчинённый (podčinjónnyj)submissive to or controlled by authority
- прида́точный (pridátočnyj)grammar: dependent
- подчинённый (podčinjónnyj)one who is subordinate
- подчиня́ть (podčinjátʹ)to make subservient
Spanish subordinado, subordinado
- subordinadoplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- subordinadoone who is subordinate
- subordinarto treat as of less value or importance
- supeditarto treat as of less value or importance
- subordinarto make subservient
- supeditarto make subservient
Swedish underordnad, underordnad
- underordnadplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- underordnadsubmissive to or controlled by authority
- underordnadgrammar: dependent
- underordnato make subservient
Thai ลูกน้อง
- ลูกน้อง (lûuk-nɔ́ɔng)one who is subordinate
Turkish ast, tabi
- astplaced in a lower class, rank, or position
- tabisubmissive to or controlled by authority
- niteleyengrammar: dependent
- tabi kılmakto make subservient
- bağımlı kılmakto make subservient
Ukrainian підпорядко́ваний, підле́глий
- підпорядко́ваний (pidporjadkóvanyj)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- підле́глий (pidléhlyj)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- другоря́дний (druhorjádnyj)placed in a lower class, rank, or position
- підпорядко́ваний (pidporjadkóvanyj)submissive to or controlled by authority
- підле́глий (pidléhlyj)submissive to or controlled by authority
- підря́дний (pidrjádnyj)grammar: dependent
Vietnamese thuộc cấp
- thuộc cấpone who is subordinate
Cite this entry
subordinate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subordinate
“subordinate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subordinate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “subordinate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subordinate.
Source: subordinate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.