subordinates

subordinates — noun

IPA/səˈbɔː.dɪ.nət/
KK[səbˈɔrdənˌets]IPA/səˈbɔːr.dən.ət/

1. people in a workplace, military unit, or similar organization whose positions ar

1.nounB2
Definition

people in a workplace, military unit, or similar organization whose positions are below yours and who take directions from you.

Example

Felix asked two subordinates to check the fire doors before lunch.

ask subordinates to + verb

During the flood response, Mira trusted her subordinates to deliver medicine by boat.

trust subordinates with a task

Common collocations
  • direct subordinates
  • senior staff and subordinates
  • speak to subordinates
  • manage subordinates
Synonyms
  • staff

    broader and more neutral; it does not itself show lower rank

  • juniors

    shorter and less formal, often used inside a company or school

  • underlings

    more negative and suggests low status or little respect

Antonyms
  • superiors

    people above you in rank or authority

  • managers

    people who direct others, though not always directly above you

Grammar Patterns

speak to your subordinates

trust your subordinates

praise your subordinates

Usage Note

Usually appears in formal talk about organizations or chains of command. Distinguish it from sense 2, which is a technical word-study meaning rather than a workplace one.

Common Mistakes

She is one of my subordinate.
She is one of my subordinates.
Use the plural after 'one of my'.

2. words whose meanings fit inside the meaning of a broader category word.

2.nounC2
Definition

words whose meanings fit inside the meaning of a broader category word.

Example

In class, Eri learned that 'rose' and 'lily' are subordinates of 'flower'.

subordinates of a broader category word

The dictionary lists 'violin' and 'drum' as subordinates of 'instrument'.

Common collocations
  • lexical subordinates
  • subordinates of a term
  • list subordinates
  • semantic subordinates
Synonyms
  • hyponyms

    the standard technical term in linguistics for words under a broader term

  • subtypes

    broader and less technical; can describe categories outside language

Antonyms
  • superordinates

    broader category words that include the meanings of narrower ones

Grammar Patterns

subordinates of + word

list subordinates under + category

Usage Note

This sense belongs to semantics and classification. Distinguish it from sense 1, where subordinates are people rather than words.

Common Mistakes

Vehicle is a subordinate of bicycle.
Bicycle is a subordinate of vehicle.
The subordinate is the narrower word, not the broader category.

subordinates — verb

IPA/səˈbɔː.dɪ.neɪt/
KK[səbˈɔrdənˌets]IPA/səˈbɔːr.dən.eɪt/

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

In noun sense 1, subordinates are the people below a manager or officer in a clear chain of command. Staff is broader and more neutral, because it can include everyone in a workplace without showing rank. Juniors is shorter and common inside organizations, but it often points to less experience as well as lower position. Underlings is much more negative and suggests that the speaker looks down on those workers. Choose subordinates when rank and reporting relationships are the main point.

staff ↗juniors ↗underlings ↗

Etymology

LatinMiddle FrenchEnglish

Subordinates is the plural noun form and the third-person singular verb form of subordinate. Subordinate came into English through Latin roots meaning to arrange something under something else, which still fits both the rank sense and the idea of putting one thing below another in importance.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun