subordinate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The military is subordinate to its civilian commander in chief, and as chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he has no direct command of battlefield forces.

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

"Uganda has been ready for a civilian leader since time immemorial," he insists, adding that according to Uganda's constitution, the military must be subordinate to the civilian authority.

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

“Even though there’s an alpha male, the more subordinate males within the troop will mate with the females and do what’s called sneak breeding,” said Candace Sclimenti, curator of mammals at the zoo.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025

In Ms. Brett’s signature style, the illustrations are arranged in ornamented panels so that readers ages 4 to 9 can see the main action of the story while also gaining glimpses of subordinate plot developments.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

But otherwise the subjunctive is found only in subordinate clauses, generally with mandative verbs and adjectives, which indicate that something is demanded or required: I insist that she be kept in the loop.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker