To submit can mean to hand something in for consideration, like a form or assignment, or to give in to someone else’s power or control.
From Latin 'submittere' meaning 'to let down, put under, yield', from 'sub' (under) + 'mittere' (to send). It carried the sense of lowering or yielding before authority.
Every time you click 'submit' on a website, you’re literally 'sending something under' the system’s control. The same root idea explains why 'submission' can feel either routine (homework) or deeply emotional (giving in in a conflict).
The verb "submit" is historically linked to religious and legal doctrines that demanded women's submission to husbands, fathers, or male authorities. This framing contributed to justifying unequal power relations and limiting women's autonomy.
Avoid using "submit" metaphorically in ways that romanticize or normalize gendered subordination; in neutral contexts (e.g., "submit a form"), the term is fine.
["send in","turn in","file","provide","hand in"]
When referencing doctrines or customs that required women to submit, explicitly identify them as historical power structures rather than natural or inevitable norms.
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