subordinate
A person who works under another person and has less power or rank than them.
A person who has a lower rank, position, or level of authority than someone else in the same organization or group.
Having less power or rank than another person or group.
Having a lower rank, position, or level of authority than someone or something else in an organization or system.
Less important than something else; not the main thing.
Less important or less significant than something else; secondary in importance, role, or function.
To give less importance to one thing than to another thing.
To make something less important than something else, or to treat it as having lower priority or status.
In grammar, describing a clause that needs a main clause and cannot be a full sentence by itself.
In grammar, describing a clause that depends on a main clause and cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
In law or business, to change a debt or claim so that it is paid after another one.
In law or finance, to make a debt, claim, or security rank below another in priority, especially for repayment.
- Base: subordinate
- Base: subordinate
- Plural: subordinates
- Base: subordinate
- 3rd Person Singular: subordinates
- Present Participle: subordinating
- Past: subordinated
be subordinate to
1have lower rank or status than
To have less power, rank, or importance than someone or something else.
- Regional offices are subordinate to the head office.
- In this structure, all other values are subordinate to safety.
- Junior officers are subordinate to senior officers.
subordinate clause
1clause that depends on main clause
A part of a sentence that has a subject and verb but cannot be a full sentence by itself and must join a main clause.
- In the sentence "I stayed home because it was raining," "because it was raining" is a subordinate clause.
- Teachers often ask students to underline the subordinate clause in each sentence.
subordinate debt
1loan with lower repayment priority
A loan or debt that will be paid back only after other debts have been paid.
- Because it is subordinate debt, the interest rate is higher to reflect the extra risk.
- In a bankruptcy, holders of subordinate debt may lose all their money.
subordinate legislation
1law made under main legislation
Rules and laws made by a person or body under powers given by a main law passed by parliament.
- Details of the new system will be set out in subordinate legislation.
- The act gives ministers wide powers to make subordinate legislation.
subordinate role
1less important position or function
A job or part that is not the main one and is less important than another job or part.
- In this project, technology plays a subordinate role to social impact.
- He was unhappy with his subordinate role in the decision-making process.