Meaning & use
subordination
Last updated
The state of being ranked lower or having less authority than someone or something else; also, the grammatical relationship in which one clause depends on another.
See it in a sentence
The soldier was disciplined for insubordination after refusing to follow orders, the opposite of proper subordination.
In grammar, subordination joins a dependent clause to an independent one using words like 'because' or 'although.'
A note on using this word
Has both a social/organizational sense (rank or obedience) and a distinct grammatical sense (clause structure); context determines which applies.
Words with a similar meaning
dependencesubservience
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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