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
Stephen H. SchneiderVoyager 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
William I. McLaughlinExamples of subsystem in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Voyager 2’s magnetic field and plasma wave equipment will also continue operating for the foreseeable future, while its cosmic ray subsystem will be retired in 2026.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025
The armor of a defense platform used to be the primary consideration, with the other subsystems being more of an afterthought.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
To save energy for further interstellar exploration, mission engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) deactivated Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem experiment on Feb. 25.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2025
Cloud-native design enables development and prototyping of applications in the cloud and deployment into vehicles and different subsystems of vehicles.
—Yu Fang, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subsystem
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Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2025
The armor of a defense platform used to be the primary consideration, with the other subsystems being more of an afterthought.
—Steve Tengler, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
To save energy for further interstellar exploration, mission engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) deactivated Voyager 1's cosmic ray subsystem experiment on Feb. 25.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 6 Mar. 2025
Cloud-native design enables development and prototyping of applications in the cloud and deployment into vehicles and different subsystems of vehicles.
—Yu Fang, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subsystem
Cite this Entry
“Subsystem.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subsystem. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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