subordinate

subordinate

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

Adjective and Noun

• (UK) enPR: sə-bôʹdĭn-ət, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔːdɪnət/
• (US) enPR: sə-bôrʹdĭn-ət, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔɹdɪnət/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

• (UK) enPR: sə-bôʹdĭn-āt, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔːdɪneɪt/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: sə-bôrʹdĭn-āt, IPA^(key): /səˈbɔɹdɪneɪt/

Adjective

subordinate (comparative more subordinate, superlative most subordinate)

1. Placed in a lower class, rank, or position.
   • 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 1179517876:

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

   Synonym: lesser

   Antonyms: superior, superordinate

2. 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.

   Antonym: insubordinate

3. (grammar, of a clause, not comparable) dependent 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”.

   Synonym: dependent

   Antonyms: independent, main

4. Descending in a regular series.

Translations

placed in a lower class, rank, or position

Azerbaijani: tabe (az) Bulgarian: низш (bg) (nizš), второстепенен (bg) (vtorostepenen) Danish: underordnet Dutch: ondergeschikt (nl) Finnish: alamainen (fi) French: subordonné (fr) m, subordonnée (fr) f, subordonnés (fr) m pl, subordonnées (fr) f pl German: untergeordnet (de), nachgeordnet (de) Hungarian: alárendelt (hu) Irish: fo-ordaithe, íochtaránach Japanese: 劣後する (ja) (retsugo suru) 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 Finnish: alamainen (fi), alisteinen (fi) German: untergeordnet (de), nachgeordnet (de) Greek: εξαρτημένος (el) (exartiménos), υποτελής (el) (ypotelís) Irish: fo-ordaithe, íochtaránach Japanese: 従属する (ja) (jūzoku suru), 付属する (ja) (jūzoku suru) 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 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)

1. (countable) One who is subordinate.

   Synonyms: inferior, junior, report, underling, understrapper

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

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) German: Untergebene (de) m, Befehlsempfänger m Japanese: 部下 (ja) (buka), 配下 (ja) (haika) (a person), 付属物 (fuzokubutsu) (a thing) Latin: subiectus m Maori: awhenga, pararau Mon: ကောန်ရဲ (kon ray) Polish: podwładny (pl) m Portuguese: subordinado (pt) m 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.
2. (transitive) To treat as of less value or importance.

   Synonyms: belittle, denigrate

3. (transitive, finance) To make of lower priority in order of payment in bankruptcy.

Translations

to make subservient

Bulgarian: подчинявам (bg) (podčinjavam) Catalan: subordinar (ca) Czech: podřídit Finnish: alistaa (fi) Irish: fo-ordaigh 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 Portuguese: subordinar (pt), submeter (pt), sujeitar (pt) Spanish: supeditar (es)

See also

• inferior

Anagrams

• turbinadoes

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Italian

Adjective

subordinate

1. feminine plural of subordinato

Participle

subordinate f pl

1. feminine plural of subordinato

Verb

subordinate

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

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /su.boːr.diˈnaː.te/, [s̠ʊboːrd̪ɪˈnäːt̪ɛ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /su.bor.diˈna.te/, [subord̪iˈnäːt̪e]

Verb

subōrdināte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of subōrdinō