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:

     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)

2. (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

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) 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

Spanish

Verb

subordinate

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