subaltern
/sʌbˈɔltəɹn/adjective, noun
subaltern is spelled S-U-B-A-L-T-E-R-N: 9 letters. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 73,203rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, subaltern means “Of a lower rank or position; inferior or secondary; especially (military) ranking as a junior officer, below the rank of captain” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in subaltern?
| Letters | 9: S-U-B-A-L-T-E-R-N |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 73,203rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is subaltern?
Subaltern appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 73,203rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce subaltern?
- UK /ˈsʌb.əltən/
- US /sʌbˈɔltəɹn/
- US /ˈsʌbəltəɹn/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-subaltern.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of subaltern
- more subaltern comparative
- most subaltern superlative
- subalterns plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does subaltern mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of a lower rank or position; inferior or secondary; especially (military) ranking as a junior officer, below the rank of captain.
a subaltern officer
- 2
Asserting only a part of what is asserted in a related proposition.
noun
- 1
A subordinate.
- 2
UKA commissioned officer having a rank below that of captain; a lieutenant or second lieutenant.
- 3
A subaltern proposition; a proposition implied by a universal proposition.
- 4
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Subaltern in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense of a lower rank of position:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | subalterne |
| German | Subaltern, Subalternoffizier |
| Spanish | subalterno |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does subaltern come from?
From Middle French subalterne, from Late Latin subalternus, from Latin sub- + alternus, from alter.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).