Dictionary
sub•or•di•nate
Pronunciation: (
—adj., n.su-bôr'dn-it;
—v.su-bôr'dn-āt"), [key]
—adj., n., v., -nat•ed, -nat•ing.
—
adj.
1. placed in or belonging to a lower order or rank.
2. of less importance; secondary.
3. subject to or under the authority of a superior.
4. subservient or inferior.
5. subject; dependent.
6. Gram.
a. acting as a modifier, as
when I finished, which is subordinate to
They were glad in
They were glad when I finished.
b. noting or pertaining to a subordinating conjunction.
7. Obs.submissive.
—
n.
a subordinate person or thing.
—
v.t.
1. to place in a lower order or rank.
2. to make secondary (usually fol. by
to):
to subordinate work to pleasure.
3. to make subject, subservient, or dependent (usually fol. by
to):
to subordinate passion to reason. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.