[suh
b-mish-uhn] 
| 1. | an act or instance of submitting. |
| 2. | the condition of having submitted. |
| 3. | submissive conduct or attitude. |
| 4. | something that is submitted, as an application. |
| 5. | Law. an agreement between parties involved in a dispute, to abide by the decision of an arbitrator or arbitrators. |
| sub·mis·sion (səb-mĭsh'ən) n.
[Middle English submissioun, from Old French submission, from Latin submissiō, submissiōn-, a lowering, from submissus, past participle of submittere, to set under; see submit.] |
submission
form of animal behaviour in which one individual attempts through appeasement displays to avoid injury by a dominant member of its own species. Appeasement displays are commonly found in species that are well armed (e.g., carnivores) and social. The displays, even when performed by adult males, commonly incorporate elements of infantile behaviour (e.g., in wolves, rolling over and begging for food) or of precopulatory behaviour (e.g., in baboons, presenting the buttocks to the dominant animal). Sometimes the submissive animal exposes its most vulnerable spot, such as the throat, to the dominant animal.
Learn more about submission with a free trial on Britannica.com.
