ˈmæstəɹi ˈmɑːst(ə)ɹi səˌbɔːdɪˈneɪʃn̩ səˌbɔɹɾn̩ˈeɪʃn̩ the act of mastering or subordinating someone the quality of obedient submissiveness the grammatical relation of a modifying word or phrase to its head the semantic relation of being subordinate or belonging to a lower rank or class the state of being subordinate to something