Tell me more ×
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote -1 down vote favorite

I've found this translation http://www.wordreference.com/iten/subordinato but I am not sure if English legals use subordinate to define a party that is subordinated to another.

Any suggestion?

EDIT: An approximation of "subordinato" can be "working for someone that employs you".

share|improve this question
It's a perfectly common usage in English too - but we just call such a person a "subordinate" (not subordinated). – FumbleFingers Dec 12 '12 at 17:56
...most of these thousands of instances of "behaviour towards subordinates" will be for this exact context, which I'm voting to close as General Reference. – FumbleFingers Dec 12 '12 at 17:59
I am drafting an agreement where I am say something like "Section x - Exclusion of partnership relationship and employment of party x" OR "Section x - Exclusion of partnership relationship and subordinate relationship" – mm24 Dec 12 '12 at 18:00
I'm not a lawyer, so I wouldn't want to advise on phrasing of a (legal?) agreement. But if you simply look at a few examples in that link I'd have thought it will tell you as much as any answer here, since "behaviour towards subordinates" is often an area that concerns the law. Sexual language/activity involving a subordinate is often discouraged, and may be illegal, for example. – FumbleFingers Dec 12 '12 at 18:14

closed as general reference by Rory Alsop, tchrist, MετάEd, Robusto, JSBձոգչ Dec 13 '12 at 19:26

This question is too basic; it can be definitively and permanently answered by a single link to a standard internet reference source designed specifically to find that type of information. See the FAQ for guidance on how to improve it.

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote

English "subordinate" implies a hierarchy, but not necessarily an employment relationship. For example, the subordinates of a military officer are those of lower rank whom he commands. The word need not refer to a hierarchy of persons at all: it is also used to describe nesting in an outline of an argument or essay. From your comment, I guess a reference to an employer/employee relationship is more precise.

share|improve this answer
up vote 1 down vote

The legal term subordinated may have a narrow technical definition, which can't be guessed without some context.

For example, subordinated debt will have a specific definition not closely related to normal English use of the word subordinate.

In normal English, the final definition

  • militare (inferiore di grado) military :
    • subordinate n

is the primary use, and the penultimate definition

  • (sottoposto) :
    • subordinate, direct report n
    • aide, associate n
    • pejorative stooge, underling n

would be a less-common but still understandable use.

The other definitions (conditional, dependent or non-autonomous) would be more likely in specific, narrow or technical sense.

share|improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.