Subtle vs Subordinate - What's the difference?
subtle | subordinate |
Hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable.
(of a thing) Cleverly contrived.
(of a person or animal) Cunning, skillful.
insidious
* 1623 , , act iv, scene 4,
Tenuous; rarefied; of low density or thin consistency.
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.
As adjectives the difference between subtle and subordinate
is that subtle is hard to grasp; not obvious or easily understood; barely noticeable while subordinate is placed in a lower class, rank, or position.As a noun subordinate is
(senseid)(countable) one who is subordinate.As a verb subordinate is
to make subservient.subtle
English
Alternative forms
* subtil (obsolete) * subtile (obsolete)Adjective
(er)- The difference is subtle , but you can hear it if you listen carefully.
- Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle , bloody, treacherous.
Synonyms
* crafty, cunning, skillful * (insidious) insidiousAntonyms
* (hard to grasp) simpleDerived terms
* subtle body * subtleness * subtlety * subtlyReferences
* * *Anagrams
* * * *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”.