subordinate

Intermediatezipf 3.45

Pronunciation

/səˈbɔːdɪnət/(suh-BOR-din-ut)

Part of speech

adjective / noun / verbformal

Chinese

下属的；从属的；下级（人）

Definition

Lower in rank or importance; a person under the authority of another.

Word family

  • subordination/səˌbɔːdɪˈneɪʃən/(n)从属
  • insubordinate/ˌɪnsəˈbɔːdɪnət/(adj)不服从的

Collocations

  • subordinate clause
  • subordinate role
  • subordinate to
  • direct subordinate

Examples

  1. 1.He treats his subordinates with respect. (noun: lower-ranking people)
  2. 2.Personal interests should be subordinate to the team's goals. (adj: secondary)

Synonyms

  • junior/ˈdʒuːniə/— lower in rank, less formal
  • inferior/ɪnˈfɪəriə/— lower quality or rank, can be negative
  • secondary/ˈsɛkəndri/— less important

Etymology

sub- (below) + ordinare (to order) — placed below in order