Subordinate vs Submissive - What's the difference?
subordinate | submissive |
Placed in a lower class, rank, or position.
* Woodward
Submissive or inferior to, or controlled by, authority.
* South
(grammar, of a clause, not comparable) dependent on and either modifying or complementing the main clause
To make subservient.
To treat as of less value or importance.
(finance) To make of lower priority in order of payment in bankruptcy.
Meekly obedient or passive.
* 1756 , Edmund Burke, The Works of the Right Honorable Edmund Burke , G. Bell & sons, page 314:
* 1913 , Edward Lee Thorndike, Educational Psychology , Teachers college, Columbia university, page 92:
* 2007 , Brian Watermeyer, Disability and Social Change: A South African Agenda , HSRC Press, page 269:
As adjectives the difference between subordinate and submissive
is that subordinate is placed in a lower class, rank, or position while submissive is meekly obedient or passive.As nouns the difference between subordinate and submissive
is that subordinate is (one who is subordinate) One who is subordinate while submissive is one who submits.As a verb subordinate
is to make subservient.subordinate
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The several kinds and subordinate species of each are easily distinguished.
- It was subordinate , not enslaved, to the understanding.
- In the sentence, “The barbecue finished before John arrived”, the subordinate clause “before John arrived” specifies the time of the main clause, “The barbecue finished”.
Synonyms
* lesser * (sense) dependentAntonyms
* superior, superordinate * (Submissive to or controlled by authority) insubordinate * (sense) independent, mainSee also
* inferiorSynonyms
* (one who is subordinate) inferior, junior, report, underling, understrapperAntonyms
* (one who is subordinate) boss, commander, leader, manager, superior, supervisorVerb
(subordinat)Synonyms
* (treat as of less value or importance) belittle, denigratesubmissive
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- The powerful managers for government were not sufficiently submissive to the pleasure of the possessors of immediate and personal favour, sometimes from a confidence in their own strength natural and acquired; sometimes from a fear of offending their friends, and weakening that lead in the country, which gave them a consideration independent of the court.
- If the human being who answers these tendencies assumes a submissive behavior, in essence a lowering of head and shoulders, wavering glance, absence of all preparations for attack, general weakening of muscle tonus, and hesitancy in movement, the movements of attempt at mastery become modified into attempts at the more obvious swagger, strut and glare of triumph.
- Once oppression has been internalised, little force is needed to keep us submissive .