subsystem

noun

sub·​sys·​tem ˈsəb-ˌsi-stəm 

variants or less commonly sub-system

plural subsystems also sub-systems

: a system that is part of a larger system

These subsystems of the climate system include the atmosphere, the oceans (both upper and deep oceans), the sea ice, the ice sheets, the land surface, and the biota.

—Stephen H. Schneider

Voyager 2 was the troublesome twin. Even before launch, failures in its onboard computer subsystems had to be rectified. The problems continued after liftoff as the attitude-control subsystem behaved in an unexpected fashion.

—William I. McLaughlin

Examples of subsystem in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The tests also verified how well the engine performed with the other subsystems on the aircraft, the agency added. —Brett Tingley, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2025

This port inside the vehicle connects to various subsystems and allows small receivers to access the car's computer system. —Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 10 June 2024

Systems can have subsystems; each of these can have its own permission structures. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2025

The subsystems of the instrument include a telescope and magnetospheric particle analyzer, which have a 360-degree view thanks to a rotating platform powered by a stepper motor. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1756, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subsystem

• cryptosystem
• ecosystem
• intersystem
• multisystem
• photosystem
• system