Meanings
plural subordinations
- countableuncountableThe process of making or classing (something or somebody) as subordinate.
Sound logic, as the habitual subordination of the individual to the species, and of the species to the genus […]
1817, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Biographia Literaria, New York: Leavitt, Lord & Co., published 1834 - countableuncountableThe property of being subordinate; inferiority of rank or position.
- countableuncountableThe quality of being properly obedient to a superior (as a superior officer); this quality as a systemic principle of discipline within a hierarchical organization.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe semantic relation of being subordinate or belonging to a lower rank or class
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Frenchsubordination
- Englishsubordination
From Middle French subordination, from Medieval Latin subordinatio.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian подчинение
- подчинение (podčinenie)property of being subordinate
Dutch ondergeschikt
- ondergeschiktproperty of being subordinate
Finnish alistaminen, alisteisuus
- alistaminenprocess of making or classing as subordinate
- alisteisuusproperty of being subordinate
- alaisuusproperty of being subordinate
- tottelevaisuusquality of being properly obedient to a superior; this quality as a systemic principle of discipline
Hungarian alárendelés, alá-fölé rendeltség
- alárendelésprocess of making or classing as subordinate
- alá-fölé rendeltségproperty of being subordinate
- alárendeltségproperty of being subordinate
- függőségproperty of being subordinate
- függésproperty of being subordinate
- engedelmességquality of being properly obedient to a superior; this quality as a systemic principle of discipline
- fegyelemquality of being properly obedient to a superior; this quality as a systemic principle of discipline
Polish podporządkowanie, podporządkowywanie
- podporządkowanieprocess of making or classing as subordinate
- podporządkowywanieprocess of making or classing as subordinate
- subordynacjaquality of being properly obedient to a superior; this quality as a systemic principle of discipline
Russian подчине́ние, подчине́ние
- подчине́ние (podčinénije)process of making or classing as subordinate
- подчине́ние (podčinénije)property of being subordinate
- подчинённость (podčinjónnostʹ)property of being subordinate
- субордина́ция (subordinácija)quality of being properly obedient to a superior; this quality as a systemic principle of discipline
Ukrainian підпорядкува́ння, підпорядко́вування
- підпорядкува́ння (pidporjadkuvánnja)process of making or classing as subordinate
- підпорядко́вування (pidporjadkóvuvannja)process of making or classing as subordinate
- підпорядкува́ння (pidporjadkuvánnja)property of being subordinate
- підпорядко́ваність (pidporjadkóvanistʹ)property of being subordinate
- субордина́ція (subordynácija)quality of being properly obedient to a superior; this quality as a systemic principle of discipline
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with subordination
Cite this entry
subordination. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subordination
“subordination.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subordination. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “subordination,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subordination.
Source: subordination on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.