n. 1. A person who is lower in position or rank; a subordinate. 2. a. A person who is marginalized and oppressed by the dominant culture, especially in a colonial context. b. Such people considered as a group. 3. Chiefly British An officer holding a military rank just below that of captain. 4. Logic A particular proposition that follows from a universal with the same subject, predicate, and quality. [French subalterne, from Old French, from Late Latin subalternus : Latin sub-, sub- + Latin alternus, alternate (from alter, other; see al-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] sub·altern adj. |
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