adjective / noun / verb · academic
subordinate
UK/səˈbɔːdɪnət/US/səˈbɔːrdɪnət/sub·OR·di·nate
Band 7+speakingtask2
placed in a lower rank or position; to treat something as less important or dependent on something else
Examples
“In many organisations, subordinates report directly to a manager.”
“Economic goals were subordinated to political priorities.”
“The subordinate clause gives extra information about time.”
Band 8 sentence
“Policy objectives were occasionally subordinated to short‑term electoral considerations, undermining long‑term development plans.”
Collocations
- subordinate clause
- subordinate to
- subordinate staff
Word family
subordination nounsubordinately adverb
Common mistakes
secondary→subordinate
Say it for a higher band
5secondary→6inferior→7+subordinate
Synonyms
inferior
Easily confused
secondary
“Secondary sources provide background but are not original research.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Sublist 7
Learn it with its set