subordination

Sometimes sub·or·di·na·cy

[suh-bawr-dn-ey-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of placing in a lower rank or position.

   The refusal to allow women to be educated was part of society's subordination of women to men.

2. the act of subordinating, or of making dependent, secondary, or subservient.

3. the condition of being subordinated, or made dependent, secondary, or subservient.

subordination

1. The use of expressions that make one element of a sentence dependent on another. In the following sentence, the first (italicized) clause (also called a subordinate clause) is subordinate to the second clause: “Despite all efforts toward a peaceful settlement of the dispute, war finally broke out.” (Compare coordination, dependent clause, and independent clause.)

Other Word Forms

• nonsubordination noun
• presubordination noun
• self-subordination noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of subordination¹

First recorded in 1425–75; from Late Latin subordination-, stem of subordinatio, equivalent to Medieval Latin subōrdināt(us), past participle of subōrdināre subordinate ( def. ) + -iō -ion ( def. )

Example Sentences

Imperialism is always about conquest and total subordination of one regime to another.

From Salon

One of Sheinbaum’s mottos: “Collaboration, coordination, without subordination. ... Sovereignty is not negotiable.”

From Los Angeles Times

“We negotiate as equals, there is no subordination here, because we are a great nation,” she told the Associated Press.

From Salon

At her morning news conference on Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shot back , saying that her country was open to “coordination” with its northern neighbor, but not “subordination.”

From Los Angeles Times

In asserting unity, we are absolving a man who seeks power through the humiliation and subordination of disdained others.

From Salon