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.

Prasad took the unusual step of signing the letter to the company himself, rather than a subordinate directly overseeing vaccine applications.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

Trump visited the construction site, theatrically inspecting it like a mob boss checking on a wayward subordinate.

From Salon • Jan. 12, 2026

She says she was then demoted to a subordinate role on a big internal project supporting the other senior manager her report had implicated.

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

A common error in student writing is to shift the tense from a main clause to a subordinate one even when they refer to the same time period.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker