sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət 
-ˈbȯrd-nət
1
: placed in or occupying a lower class, rank, or position : inferior
a subordinate officer
2
: submissive to or controlled by authority
3
a
: of, relating to, or constituting a clause that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb
b
subordinately
adverb
subordinateness
noun
sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯr-də-nət
-ˈbȯrd-nət
: one who stands in order or rank below another : one that is subordinate
sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯr-də-ˌnāt
subordinated; subordinating
1
: to make subject or subservient
2
: to treat as of less value or importance
stylist … whose crystalline prose subordinates content to form—
Susan Heath
Susan HeathExamples of subordinate in a Sentence
Adjective
About two-thirds of the way through, this nonsense comes to life for fifteen minutes when the point of view shifts to that of a subordinate character, an aging thug (well played by Laurence Fishburne) who is employed by the casino to spot card counters.
—Richard Alleva, Commonweal, May 9, 2008
A reporter's right to protect a source is a subordinate matter that obfuscates the more important issue of violating journalistic integrity and responsibility when one becomes an agent, if not a pawn, of a mean-spirited and vindictive retaliation scheme.
—Jon Duffey, Editor & Publisher, 13 Oct. 2003
She was thirty-three, furiously frustrated with her subordinate role in the studio—attending to the model's hair, makeup, and clothes—and chronically dissatisfied with her own pictures, which represented a different kind of woman's work.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2003
his contention is that environment plays a subordinate role to heredity in determining what we become
Noun
Case in point: the dismissal of advertising chief Julie Roehm, accused of having an affair with a subordinate (also fired) and taking freebies from an advertising agency (also fired) in violation of company policies.
—Bill Saporito, Time, 12 Nov. 2007
He ran an extremely unhappy headquarters. He tended to berate subordinates, frequently shouting and cursing at them.
—Thomas E. Ricks, Fiasco, 2006
She also found it impossible to give negative feedback. As a consequence, her work and that of her subordinates started to suffer, and she was missing deadlines.
—Steven Berglas, Harvard Business Review, June 2002
She leaves the day-to-day running of the firm to her subordinates.
subordinates do most of the actual creation of the famous designer's clothing designs
Verb
Clinton administration Trade Representative Mickey Kantor declared: "The days when we could afford to subordinate our economic interests to foreign policy or defense concerns are long past."
—Lawrence F. Kaplan, New Republic, 18 Mar. 2002
The real reason, though, is that art survives life, and this unpalatable realization lies behind the lumpen desire to subordinate the former to the latter. The finite always mistakes the permanent for the infinite and nurtures designs upon it.
—Joseph Brodsky, Times Literary Supplement, 26 Oct. 1990
it is one of the lessons of history that more powerful civilizations often subordinate weaker ones
Richard Alleva, Commonweal, May 9, 2008
A reporter's right to protect a source is a subordinate matter that obfuscates the more important issue of violating journalistic integrity and responsibility when one becomes an agent, if not a pawn, of a mean-spirited and vindictive retaliation scheme.
—Jon Duffey, Editor & Publisher, 13 Oct. 2003
She was thirty-three, furiously frustrated with her subordinate role in the studio—attending to the model's hair, makeup, and clothes—and chronically dissatisfied with her own pictures, which represented a different kind of woman's work.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2003
his contention is that environment plays a subordinate role to heredity in determining what we become
Noun
Case in point: the dismissal of advertising chief Julie Roehm, accused of having an affair with a subordinate (also fired) and taking freebies from an advertising agency (also fired) in violation of company policies.
—Bill Saporito, Time, 12 Nov. 2007
He ran an extremely unhappy headquarters. He tended to berate subordinates, frequently shouting and cursing at them.
—Thomas E. Ricks, Fiasco, 2006
She also found it impossible to give negative feedback. As a consequence, her work and that of her subordinates started to suffer, and she was missing deadlines.
—Steven Berglas, Harvard Business Review, June 2002
She leaves the day-to-day running of the firm to her subordinates.
subordinates do most of the actual creation of the famous designer's clothing designs
Verb
Clinton administration Trade Representative Mickey Kantor declared: "The days when we could afford to subordinate our economic interests to foreign policy or defense concerns are long past."
—Lawrence F. Kaplan, New Republic, 18 Mar. 2002
The real reason, though, is that art survives life, and this unpalatable realization lies behind the lumpen desire to subordinate the former to the latter. The finite always mistakes the permanent for the infinite and nurtures designs upon it.
—Joseph Brodsky, Times Literary Supplement, 26 Oct. 1990
it is one of the lessons of history that more powerful civilizations often subordinate weaker ones
Recent Examples on the Web
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 July 2025
After forcing Cook to resign as chief of staff in 2020 for a violation of city policy stemming from another relationship with a subordinate employee, the mayor brought him back to help lead his 2023 reelection campaign.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 2 June 2025
Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
Why this is happening is clear from a radio intercept about a similar incident, shared with CNN, in which a Russian commander can clearly be heard ordering a subordinate be tied up in this way as punishment for desertion.
—Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 2 Aug. 2025
Russia’s foreign policy has become subordinated to three goals: building alliances to support its war effort, sustaining an economy targeted by sanctions, and taking revenge on the West for its support of Ukraine.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordinate
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Shell was ousted as CEO of NBCUniversal in 2023 after being the subject of complaints about inappropriate contact with a subordinate, CNBC anchor Hadley Gamble.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 24 July 2025
After forcing Cook to resign as chief of staff in 2020 for a violation of city policy stemming from another relationship with a subordinate employee, the mayor brought him back to help lead his 2023 reelection campaign.
—Hayleigh Colombo, IndyStar, 2 June 2025
Noun
Former Pflugerville Police Chief Jason O’Malley pointed a gun at a subordinate inside a police building this year, according to a third-party investigation that spurred O'Malley and two commanders to exit the force.
—Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 31 July 2025
Why this is happening is clear from a radio intercept about a similar incident, shared with CNN, in which a Russian commander can clearly be heard ordering a subordinate be tied up in this way as punishment for desertion.
—Andrew Carey, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Verb
Read More: What Trump’s Win Means for the Economy
This is far from the first time Trump has subordinated statistical integrity to political theater.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 2 Aug. 2025
Russia’s foreign policy has become subordinated to three goals: building alliances to support its war effort, sustaining an economy targeted by sanctions, and taking revenge on the West for its support of Ukraine.
—Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subordinate
Cite this Entry
“Subordinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subordinate. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subordinate
1 of 3 adjective
sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ət
-ˈbȯrd-nət
1
: placed in or occupying a lower class or rank
a subordinate officer
2
: yielding to or controlled by authority
3
a
: of, relating to, or being a clause that functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb
b
subordinately
adverb
subordinateness
noun
subordinate
2 of 3 noun
: one that is subordinate
subordinate
3 of 3 verb
sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt
subordinated; subordinating
: to make subordinate
Legal Definition
subordinate
1 of 2 adjective
sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ət
1
: placed in or occupying a lower rank, class, or position
2
: submissive to or controlled by authority
subordinate
2 of 2 transitive verb
sub·or·di·nate
sə-ˈbȯrd-ᵊn-ˌāt
subordinated; subordinating
: to assign lower priority to (as a debt or creditor) : postpone satisfaction of until after satisfaction of another
the equitable assignee will be subordinated to the rights of the assignor's trustee in bankruptcy—J. D. Calamari and J. M. Perillo
J. D. Calamari and J. M. PerilloLove words? Need even more definitions?
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