Meaning & use

subsystem

noun·Academic

A smaller, self-contained part of a larger system that performs a specific function.

See it in a sentence

The spacecraft's navigation subsystem failed independently while the rest of the systems worked fine.

Engineers tested each subsystem separately before integrating them into the complete network.

A note on using this word

Subsystem is common in engineering and computing to describe a distinct unit within a complex, interconnected system.

Words with a similar meaning

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