A person of lower rank or status in an organization; someone who must obey a superior.
Compound of 'under' (from Old English 'under,' meaning beneath) and '-ling' (a suffix meaning 'little or belonging to'). The combination creates a term for those in subordinate positions, with slightly derogatory connotations.
The word 'underling' carries an implicit judgment—it's not neutral like 'subordinate' or 'employee,' but suggests someone of lesser worth. This linguistic choice reveals power dynamics in language itself: we can describe the same person as an 'assistant' (neutral), 'subordinate' (formal), or 'underling' (dismissive), and which word we choose shows our attitude toward hierarchy.
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