The meaning of SUBORDINATE is placed in or occupying a lower class, rank, or position : inferior. How to use subordinate in a sentence.

SUBORDINATE definition: placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank. See examples of subordinate used in a sentence.

SUBORDINATE meaning: 1. having a lower or less important position: 2. a person who has a less important position than…. Learn more.

Subject to the authority or control of another. n. One that is subordinate. 1. To put in a lower or inferior rank or class. 2. To make subservient; subdue.

If you subordinate something to another thing, you regard it or treat it as less important than the other thing. He was both willing and able to subordinate all else to this aim. [VERB noun + to]

A subordinate is someone who works for someone else. As a verb, to subordinate means to place or rank one thing below another. When you're doing a group project, sometimes you have to …

Definition of subordinate adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Jan 20, 2026 · Adjective subordinate (comparative more subordinate, superlative most subordinate) Placed in a lower class, rank, or position.

There are ten meanings listed in OED's entry for the word subordinate, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

sub•or•di•nate /adj., n. səˈbɔrdənɪt; v. -dəˌneɪt/ adj., n., v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing. being in a lower order or rank: He had to accept a subordinate post in the new administration. secondary: In some colleges …