[ad. med.L. subordinātus, pa. pple. of subordināre to SUBORDINATE. Cf. It. subordinato, Sp. and Pg. subordinado; also F. subordonné.] A. adj.
1. Of a person or body of persons: Belonging to an inferior rank, grade, class, or order, and hence dependent upon the authority or power of another. Const. to.
1607. Chapman, Bussy d’Ambois, III. i. Shew me a great man … That rules so much more than his suffering King, That he makes kings of his subordinate slaues.
1624. Fisher, in F. White, Repl. Fisher, 337. To make Saints Mediators subordinate vnto, and dependent of Christ, is to encrease his glorie.
a. 1626. Bacon, Consid. Warre w. Spaine, Misc. (1629), 43. Two Generals … assisted with Subordinate Commanders, of great Experience.
1669. Gale, Crt. Gentiles, I. I. i. 2. Neither is it possible to conceive, that a finite subordinate Being should be independent, or eternal.
1693. Stair, Inst. Law Scot. (ed. 2), IV. xxxix. § 14. This defence extends to all Judges Supream and Subordinat.
1760–2. Goldsm., Cit. W., c. The subordinate officer must receive the commands of his superior.
1827. Scott, Surg. Dau., xiv. An act of deference … paid by inferior and subordinate princes to the patrons whom they depend upon.
1863. H. Cox, Instit., I. x. 238. Elizabeth and her advisers attempted to render Parliament subordinate to the Privy Council.
1871. Freeman, Norm. Conq., IV. 73. Besides these two great Viceroys, we also know the names of some of the subordinate captains who held commands under them.
b. Of power, position, command, employment.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Bk. Knighthood, Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 1. Sa suld knychtis have dominacioun and seigneurye subordinate of the princis and lordis behalve.
1608. J. King, Serm., 24 March, 6. Nor by way of Lieutenantship, deputation, subordinate prefecture whatsoever, but as a King over subiects.
1622. Callis, Stat. Sewers (1647), 231. An Ordinance is a subordinate direction, proceeding out of a more general power.
1681. Stair, Inst. Law Scot., I. xiii. 276. The Jurisdiction of all Barrons … was … subordinat to the Sheriffs.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 6 Feb. 1670. The lawfulnesse, decentnesse, and necessitie, of subordinate degrees and ranks of men and servants.
1765. Maclaine, trans. Mosheim’s Eccl. Hist., Cent. IV. I. v. § 10. [The Son] the instrument by whose subordinate operation the Almighty Father formed the universe.
1862. G. C. Lewis, Lett. to Earl Stanhope, 26 April. In his subordinate official position.
1874. Stubbs, Const. Hist., I. iv. 68. His power is … not subordinate.
c. Of things having an inferior rank in a series or gradation.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 76. The hevynnis, be thair instrumentis subordinatis, sendis thair … influencis in the materis that thir erdly thingis ar compound of.
1610. Guillim, Heraldrie, II. vi. (1611), 58. A couple-close is a subordinate charge deriued from a Cheuron.
1651. Hobbes, Leviathan, II. xxii. 115. Others [sc. systems] are … Subordinate to some Soveraign Power.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1692), 8. Of both which kinds [of insects] there are many subordinate Genera.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Subordination, In the Sciences, Trigonometry is subordinate to Geometry; and in the Virtues, Abstinence and Chastity are subordinate to Temperance.
1807. Med. Jrnl., XVII. 575. It was to that branch of it which bears the name of Therapeutics, that all the others were to have been subordinate.
1864. Bowen, Logic, iv. 87. The other [Concept], having less Extension, or denoting fewer Individuals, is called Inferior, Lower, Narrower or Subordinate.
2. Of things, material and immaterial: Dependent upon or subservient to the chief or principal thing. Chiefly in technical use.
1588. Fraunce, Lawiers Logike, I. iv. 25 b. Subordinate is that which is not for it selfe desired, but referred to the chief end.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxii. (1611), 328. No circumstance but a subordinate efficient cause.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. III. ii. Although this Phantasie of ours be a subordinate faculty to reason.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., II. ix. (1635), 147. Subordinate causes can produce no other then subordinate effects.
1697. trans. Burgersdicius’ Logic, I. xviii. 69. A Subordinate End is that which is referred to some farther End.
1730. M. Wright, Introd. Law Tenures, 159, note. The many subordinate Tenures and Manors subsisting at this Day.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. Introd. 98. As to Ireland, that is still a distinct kingdom; though a dependent, subordinate kingdom.
1818. Stoddart, in Encycl. Metrop. (1845), I. 18/2. Various aggregations of sentences in which the subordinate assertions are assumed by the mind in the manner already shown.
1844. Proc. Philol. Soc., I. 226. When a subordinate clause acts the part of object to a verb.
1857. J. W. Gibbs, Philol. Studies, 117. The more ancient languages had participials, where the more modern have subordinate clauses.
3. Of inferior importance; not principal or predominant; secondary, minor.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, Northampton. (1662), II. 288. Not to speak of his moral qualifications, and subordinate abilities.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), I. 236. Instances, where the subordinate movement is converted into the predominant.
1786. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 26. My expectations from it were of a subordinate nature only.
1808. Syd. Smith, Wks. (1859), I. 121/2. A very great proportion of all the curacies in England are filled with men to whom the emolument is a matter of subordinate importance.
1855. Prescott, Philip II., I. iv. I. 57. His haughty spirit could not be pleased by the subordinate part which he was compelled to play.
1887. Dict. Archit., s.v. Sub Arch, Subarcuation, that is, the mode of constructing two inferior and subordinate arches under the third or main arch.
1898. Sweet, New Engl. Gram., II. 29. If a full word becomes subordinate in meaning, it can take weaker stress.
† 4. In subjection; submissive. Obs.
1594. in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ., V. 266. My direction was in all thinges to be subordinate to him yt should be Superior here of our Societye.
1784. Cowper, Task, II. 716. The mind was well inform’d, the passions held Subordinate.
† 5. In physical senses: a. Placed underneath.
1648. Wilkins, Math. Magick, I. vii. 51. These Pulleys may be multiplyed according to sundry different situations, not onely when they are subordinate,… but also when they are placed collaterally.
b. Geol. Underlying; subjacent.
1833. Lyell, Princ. Geol., III. 170. Consisting … partly of clay and sand, with subordinate beds of lignite.
1854. Murchison, Siluria, ii. 31. Containing the best roofing slates in the world, and subordinate courses of greywacke grit.
† 6. advb. Subordinate to: in subordination or subjection to. Obs.
1642. Lanc. Tracts Civil War (Chetham Soc.), 73. We owe (subordinate to God) a great deal to Sir Iohn Seaton.
1737. Gentl. Mag., VII. 277. To inform and guide the People by it [sc. church authority], subordinate to holy Scripture.
1807. Med. Jrnl., XVII. 396. Subordinate to this will be given biographical notices of Authors.
B. sb.
1. A subordinate person; one in a position of subordination; one who is under the control or orders of a superior.
1640. G. Sandys, Christ’s Passion, 46. And so deny That Princes by Subordinates should die.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 668. Satan … his next subordinate Awak’ning.
1790. Burke, Fr. Rev., 218. What the jurisdiction of bishops over their subordinates is to be.
1856. N. Brit. Rev., XXVI. 185. All the heads of departments, civil and military, with a large proportion of their subordinates.
1898. ‘H. S. Merriman,’ Roden’s Corner, x. 100. Ready to prompt or assist, as behoved a merely mechanical subordinate.
2. A subordinate thing, matter, etc.
1839. Penny Cycl., XIII. 176/1. (Kant), The subordinates of modality are possibility, existence, and necessity.
1846. G. S. Faber, Lett. Tractar. Secess., 248. Though there may be occasional disagreement in subordinates, there is a very singular and a very striking agreement in primaries.
