subaltern
adjective
- subordinate; of lower rank
- Brit. holding an army commission below that of captain
- in traditional logic, particular, with reference to a universal proposition of which it is part
noun
- a subordinate
- Brit. a subaltern officer
- a subaltern proposition in logic
See subaltern in American Heritage Dictionary 4
sub·al·tern
adjective- Lower in position or rank; secondary.
- Chiefly British Holding a military rank just below that of captain.
- Logic In the relation of a particular proposition to a universal with the same subject, predicate, and quality.
noun- A subordinate.
- Chiefly British A subaltern officer.
- Logic A subaltern proposition.
Origin: French subalterne, from Old French, from Late Latin subalternus : Latin sub-, sub- + Latin alternus, alternate (from alter, other; see al-1 in Indo-European roots).
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