Etymology: < post-classical Latin subordinatus, past participle (used as adjective, from 14th cent. in British sources) of subordinare subordinate v.² Compare Spanish subordinado (c1550 as adjective, 1589 as noun), Italian subordinato (a1406 as adjective, a1742 as noun). Compare also French subordonné (1610 as adjective, 1736 as noun; uses as adjective and noun of the past participle of subordonner subordinate v.²).

Etymology: Alteration of subornate v. after subordinate adj. Compare later subordinate v.², and also later subordination n.²

Etymology: < post-classical Latin subordinat-, past participial stem (see -ate suffix³) of subordinare to assign to a lower (ecclesiastical) order (4th cent.) < classical Latin sub- sub- prefix + ordināre ordain v. Probably influenced semantically by Middle French, French subordonner to subordinate, make secondary, to make subject to or dependent on (c1460, earliest used reflexively in sense ‘to submit oneself to (another person)’; < sub- sub- prefix + ordonner ordain v.). Compare Middle French subordiner (1596 in an apparently isolated attestation), Catalan subordinar (1593), Spanish subordinar (c1550; a1440 as †subordenar ), Portuguese subordinar (1600 as †sobordenar ), Italian subordinare (a1613), and compare also Old Occitan sotordenar (13th cent.). Compare earlier subordinate adj. and subordination n.¹, and slightly later subordain v.In sense 3 after subordination n.¹ 1e; compare later suborder n. 3.