subordination

[ 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 Words From

• non·sub·or·di·na·tion noun
• pre·sub·or·di·na·tion noun
• self-sub·or·di·na·tion 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

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

“For women, love, dating, marriage and childbirth were no longer perceived as refuges of peace and safety, but the site of exposure to male violence and subordination,” feminist scholar Yoon-kim Ji-young wrote in 2020, describing the 4B movement as “the complete severing of any emotional, mental, financial or physical dependence on men.”

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

One is saying that we need to allow whoever has more power to exercise that power, whereas the other is trying to protect people who have less power and to to get rid of systems of subordination.

From Salon

"Coordination yes, subordination no," she said, summarising her vision of relations with the US back in March.

From BBC