subaltern
UK /ˈsʌb.əltən/ · US /sʌbˈɔltəɹn/ adjective, noun
Forms subalterns
- adjective Of a lower rank or position; inferior or secondary; especially (military) ranking as a junior officer, below the rank of captain. “a subaltern officer”
- adjective (logic) Asserting only a part of what is asserted in a related proposition.
- noun A subordinate.
- noun (UK, military) A commissioned officer having a rank below that of captain; a lieutenant or second lieutenant.
- noun (logic) A subaltern proposition; a proposition implied by a universal proposition.
- noun (social sciences, literary theory) A member of a group that is socially, politically and geographically outside of the hegemonic power structure of the colony and of the colonial homeland.
Synonyms
subordinate junior-grade lower-ranking lowly petty secondary
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle French subalterne, from Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub- + alternus, from alter.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Ranked or ranged below; subordinate; inferior; specifically (Mil.), ranking as a junior officer; being below the rank of captain; as, a subaltern officer.
- adjective Asserting only a part of what is asserted in a related proposition. Subaltern genus. (Logic) See under Genus.
- noun A person holding a subordinate position; specifically, a commissioned military officer below the rank of captain.
- noun A subaltern proposition. Whately.
Etymology [F. subalterne, LL. subalternus, fr. L. sub under + alter the one, the other of two. See Alter.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “subaltern”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details