inferiors

noun

plural of inferior
as in subordinates
one who is of lower rank and typically under the authority of another she is nice to her inferiors as well as to her superiors

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inferiors That comes to the Philippines in the form of war, as well as through the invocation, or establishment, of American-style modes of government and education that place Filipinos along this racial hierarchy, identifying them as these inferiors that need to be taught how to govern themselves. — Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inferiors
  1. subordinates
  2. underlings
Noun
  • No matter how powerful, dictators have always needed subordinates—censors, propagandists, security guards, police officers, intelligence analysts, and local bureaucrats—to carry out their orders.
    — Seva Gunitsky, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Investigators have accused one of his subordinates of running a fraud scheme, though Kravchenko himself has not been charged or named a suspect.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of subordinates
Noun
  • His underlings kidnapped and tortured a dealer who refused to pay, the indictment said.
    — Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Lamb, who was once floated for the service’s top job, treats his current position as a kind of penance for past sins, both for himself and for his underlings.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of underlings

Browse Nearby Words

inferiorly
inferiors
infernal
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Cite this Entry

“Inferiors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inferiors. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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