subordinate

English

Etymology

From Middle English subordinat, from Medieval Latin subōrdinātus, past participle of subōrdināre, from sub- + ōrdināre (“to order”).

Pronunciation

Adjective and Noun

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sə-bôʹdĭ-nət, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔːdɪnət/
• (General American, Canada) enPR: sə-bôrʹdĭ-nət, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔɹdɪnət/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /səˈboːdɪnət/

Verb

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: sə-bôʹdĭ-nāt, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔːdɪneɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American, Canada) enPR: sə-bôrʹdĭ-nāt, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔɹdɪneɪt/

  • Audio (Southern California):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /səˈboːdɪnæɪt/

Adjective

subordinate (comparative more subordinate, superlative most subordinate)

1. Placed in a lower class, rank, or position.

   Synonyms: lesser, subaltern

   Antonyms: superior, superordinate

   • 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 […], →OCLC:

     The several kinds […] and subordinate species of each are easily known.

2. Submissive or inferior to, or controlled by authority.

   Antonym: insubordinate

   • November 9, 1662, Robert South, Of the Creation of Man in the Image of God

     It was subordinate, not enslaved, to the understanding.

3. (grammar, of a clause, not comparable) dependent on and either modifying or complementing the main clause

   Synonym: dependent

   Antonyms: independent, main

   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”.

4. Descending in a regular series.

Derived terms

• subordinate clause
• subordinate court
• subordinate legislation
• subordinate trait

Translations

placed in a lower class, rank, or position

Azerbaijani: tabe (az) Bulgarian: низш (bg) (nizš), второстепенен (bg) (vtorostepenen) Danish: underordnet (da) Dutch: ondergeschikt (nl) Finnish: alamainen (fi) French: subordonné (fr) m German: untergeordnet (de), nachgeordnet (de) Hungarian: alárendelt (hu) Ingrian: alain Irish: fo-ordaithe, íochtaránach Japanese: 劣後する (ja) (retsugo suru) Korean: 종속적 (ko) (jongsokjeok), 하급의 (ko) (hageubui), 부차적 (ko) (buchajeok) Polish: podrzędny (pl), podrzędny (pl) Portuguese: subordinado (pt) Romanian: subordonat (ro) m, subordonată f Russian: подчинённый (ru) (podčinjónnyj) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: потчињен Roman: potčinjen (sh) Spanish: subordinado (es) Swedish: underordnad (sv) Turkish: ast (tr) Ukrainian: підпорядко́ваний (pidporjadkóvanyj), підле́глий (pidléhlyj), другоря́дний (druhorjádnyj)

submissive to or controlled by authority

Bulgarian: подчинен (bg) (podčinen), зависим (bg) (zavisim) Czech: podřízený (cs) m Danish: underordnet (da) Finnish: alamainen (fi), alisteinen (fi) German: untergeordnet (de), nachgeordnet (de) Greek: εξαρτημένος (el) (exartiménos), υποτελής (el) (ypotelís) Ingrian: alain Irish: fo-ordaithe, íochtaránach Japanese: 従属する (ja) (jūzoku suru), 付属する (ja) (jūzoku suru) Korean: 예속하다 (ko) (yesokhada), 예속되다 (ko) (yesokdoeda) causative, 예속적 (ko) (yesokjeok) nominal Kurdish: Central Kurdish: ژێردەستە (jêrdeste) Persian: زیردست (fa), فرودست (fa) Portuguese: subordinado (pt) m, subordinada f Romanian: subordonat (ro) m Russian: подчинённый (ru) (podčinjónnyj) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: потчињен Roman: potčinjen (sh) Swedish: underordnad (sv) Turkish: tabi (tr) Ukrainian: підпорядко́ваний (pidporjadkóvanyj), підле́глий (pidléhlyj)

grammar: dependent

Bulgarian: подчинен (bg) (podčinen) Catalan: subordinat Dutch: ondergeschikt (nl) Finnish: alisteinen (fi) Greek: εξαρτημένος (el) (exartiménos), δευτερεύουσα (el) f (defterévousa) (of sentences) Irish: fo-ordaithe Korean: 의존하다 (ko) (uijonhada), 의존적 (ko) (uijonjeok) nominal, 의존되다 (uijondoeda) causative, 의존의 (ko) (uijonui) possessive Norman: s'gondaithe (Jersey) Portuguese: subordinado (pt) Romanian: subordonat (ro) m Russian: прида́точный (ru) (pridátočnyj) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: за́висан Roman: závisan (sh) Swedish: underordnad (sv) Turkish: niteleyen Ukrainian: підря́дний (pidrjádnyj)

Noun

subordinate (plural subordinates)

2. (countable) One who is subordinate.

   Synonyms: inferior, junior, report, subaltern, underling, understrapper

   Antonyms: boss, commander, leader, manager, superior, superordinate, supervisor

3. A hyponym.

   Antonyms: hypernym, hyperonym, superordinate

Translations

one who is subordinate

Bulgarian: подчинен (bg) m (podčinen) Catalan: subordinat m Chinese: Mandarin: 下屬 / 下属 (zh) (xiàshǔ) Dutch: ondergeschikte (nl) m or f Finnish: alainen (fi) French: subordonné (fr) m, subordonnée (fr) f, subordonnés (fr) m pl, subordonnées (fr) f pl German: Untergebene (de) m, Befehlsempfänger (de) m Hungarian: beosztott (hu), alantas (hu) Japanese: 部下 (ja) (buka), 配下 (ja) (haika) Korean: 부하 (ko) (buha), 하급자 (ko) (hageupja), 졸개 (jolgae) (derogatory) Latin: subiectus m Maori: awhenga, pararau Mon: ကောန်ရဲ (kon ray) Polish: podwładny (pl) m Portuguese: subordinado (pt) m Romanian: subaltern (ro) m Russian: подчинённый (ru) m (podčinjónnyj) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: потчињени m Roman: potčinjeni (sh) m Thai: ลูกน้อง (th) (lûuk-nɔ́ɔng) Vietnamese: thuộc cấp

Verb

subordinate (third-person singular simple present subordinates, present participle subordinating, simple past and past participle subordinated)

1. (transitive) To make subservient or secondary.
   1. (transitive, grammar) To embed (a clause) into another clause that is the main one.

      Hypernym: complementize

      Coordinate term: coordinate

   2. (transitive, finance) To make of lower priority in order of payment in bankruptcy.
2. (transitive) To treat (someone) as of less value or importance.

   Synonyms: belittle, denigrate

Translations

to make subservient

Bulgarian: подчинявам (bg) (podčinjavam) Catalan: subordinar (ca) Czech: podřídit Finnish: alistaa (fi) Irish: fo-ordaigh Korean: 종속시키다 (ko) (jongsoksikida), 예속시키다 (ko) (yesoksikida) Portuguese: subordinar (pt), submeter (pt), subjugar (pt), dominar (pt) Russian: подчиня́ть (ru) (podčinjátʹ) Swedish: underordna (sv) Turkish: tabi kılmak, bağımlı kılmak

to treat as of less value or importance

Finnish: väheksyä (fi) Irish: fo-ordaigh Korean: 얕보다 (yatboda), 낮춰 보다 (natchwo boda), 경시하다 (ko) (gyeongsihada), 업신여기다 (ko) (eopsinyeogida), 하찮게 여기다 (hachanke yeogida) Maori: whakahāwini (referring to a person) Portuguese: subordinar (pt), submeter (pt), sujeitar (pt) Spanish: supeditar (es)

See also

• inferior

Anagrams

• turbinadoes

Italian

Etymology 1

Adjective

subordinate

1. feminine plural of subordinato

Participle

subordinate f pl

1. feminine plural of subordinato

Etymology 2

Verb

subordinate

1. inflection of subordinare:
   1. second-person plural present indicative
   2. second-person plural imperative

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [sʊ.boːr.dɪˈnaː.tɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [su.bor.d̪iˈnaː.t̪e]

Verb

subōrdināte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of subōrdinō

Spanish

Verb

subordinate

1. second-person singular voseo imperative of subordinar combined with te