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subject

[noun, adjective suhb-jikt; verb suh b-jekt]
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noun
  1. that which forms a basic matter of thought, discussion, investigation, etc.: a subject of conversation.
  2. a branch of knowledge as a course of study: He studied four subjects in his first year at college.
  3. a motive, cause, or ground: a subject for complaint.
  4. the theme of a sermon, book, story, etc.
  5. the principal melodic motif or phrase in a musical composition, especially in a fugue.
  6. an object, scene, incident, etc., chosen by an artist for representation, or as represented in art.
  7. a person who is under the dominion or rule of a sovereign.
  8. a person who owes allegiance to a government and lives under its protection: four subjects of Sweden.
  9. Grammar. (in English and many other languages) a syntactic unit that functions as one of the two main constituents of a simple sentence, the other being the predicate, and that consists of a noun, noun phrase, or noun substitute which often refers to the one performing the action or being in the state expressed by the predicate, as He in He gave notice.
  10. a person or thing that undergoes or may undergo some action: As a dissenter, he found himself the subject of the group's animosity.
  11. a person or thing under the control or influence of another.
  12. a person as an object of medical, surgical, or psychological treatment or experiment.
  13. a cadaver used for dissection.
  14. Logic. that term of a proposition concerning which the predicate is affirmed or denied.
  15. Philosophy.
    1. that which thinks, feels, perceives, intends, etc., as contrasted with the objects of thought, feeling, etc.
    2. the self or ego.
  16. Metaphysics. that in which qualities or attributes inhere; substance.
adjective
  1. being under domination, control, or influence (often followed by to).
  2. being under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a sovereign, state, or some governing power; owing allegiance or obedience (often followed by to).
  3. open or exposed (usually followed by to): subject to ridicule.
  4. being dependent or conditional upon something (usually followed by to): His consent is subject to your approval.
  5. being under the necessity of undergoing something (usually followed by to): All beings are subject to death.
  6. liable; prone (usually followed by to): subject to headaches.
verb (used with object)
  1. to bring under domination, control, or influence (usually followed by to).
  2. to bring under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a conqueror or a governing power (usually followed by to).
  3. to cause to undergo the action of something specified; expose (usually followed by to): to subject metal to intense heat.
  4. to make liable or vulnerable; lay open; expose (usually followed by to): to subject oneself to ridicule.
  5. Obsolete. to place beneath something; make subjacent.

Origin of subject

1275–1325; (adj.) < Latin subjectus placed beneath, inferior, open to inspection, orig. past participle of subicere to throw or place beneath, make subject, equivalent to sub- sub- + -jec-, combining form of jacere to throw + -tus past participle suffix; replacing Middle English suget < Old French < Latin, as above; (noun) < Late Latin subjectum grammatical or dialectical subject, noun use of neuter of subjectus; replacing Middle English suget, as above; (v.) < Latin subjectāre, frequentative of subicere; replacing Middle English suget(t)en < Old French sugetter < Latin, as above
Related formssub·ject·a·ble, adjectivesub·ject·a·bil·i·ty, nounsub·ject·ed·ly, adverbsub·ject·ed·ness, nounsub·ject·less, adjectivesub·ject·like, adjectivenon·sub·ject, noun, adjectivenon·sub·ject·ed, adjectivepre·sub·ject, verb (used with object)re·sub·ject, verb (used with object)un·sub·ject, adjectiveun·sub·ject·ed, adjective

Synonyms

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1, 4. Subject, theme, topic are often interchangeable to express the material being considered in a speech or written composition. Subject is a broad word for whatever is treated in writing, speech, art, etc.: the subject for discussion. Theme and topic are usually narrower and apply to some limited or specific part of a general subject. A theme is often the underlying conception of a discourse or composition, perhaps not put into words but easily recognizable: The theme of a need for reform runs throughout her work. A topic is the statement of what is to be treated in a section of a composition: The topic is treated fully in this section. 3. reason, rationale. 17. subordinate, subservient. 20. contingent.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for subjecting

subject

noun (ˈsʌbdʒɪkt)
    1. the predominant theme or topic, as of a book, discussion, etc
    2. (in combination)subject-heading
  2. any branch of learning considered as a course of study
  3. grammar logic a word, phrase, or formal expression about which something is predicated or stated in a sentence; for example, the cat in the sentence The cat catches mice
  4. a person or thing that undergoes experiment, analysis, treatment, etc
  5. a person who lives under the rule of a monarch, government, etc
  6. an object, figure, scene, etc, as selected by an artist or photographer for representation
  7. philosophy
    1. that which thinks or feels as opposed to the object of thinking and feeling; the self or the mind
    2. a substance as opposed to its attributes
  8. Also called: theme music a melodic or thematic phrase used as the principal motif of a fugue, the basis from which the musical material is derived in a sonata-form movement, or the recurrent figure in a rondo
  9. logic
    1. the term of a categorial statement of which something is predicated
    2. the reference or denotation of the subject term of a statement. The subject of John is tall is not the name John, but John himself
  10. an originating motive
  11. change the subject to select a new topic of conversation
adjective (ˈsʌbdʒɪkt) (usually postpositive and foll by to)
  1. being under the power or sovereignty of a ruler, government, etcsubject peoples
  2. showing a tendency (towards)a child subject to indiscipline
  3. exposed or vulnerablesubject to ribaldry
  4. conditional uponthe results are subject to correction
adverb
  1. subject to (preposition) under the condition thatwe accept, subject to her agreement
verb (səbˈdʒɛkt) (tr)
  1. (foll by to) to cause to undergo the application (of)they subjected him to torture
  2. (often passive foll by to) to expose or render vulnerable or liable (to some experience)he was subjected to great danger
  3. (foll by to) to bring under the control or authority (of)to subject a soldier to discipline
  4. rare to subdue or subjugate
  5. rare to present for consideration; submit
  6. obsolete to place below
Abbreviation: subj
Derived Formssubjectable, adjectivesubjectability, nounsubjectless, adjectivesubject-like, adjective

Word Origin

C14: from Latin subjectus brought under, from subicere to place under, from sub- + jacere to throw
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for subjecting

subject

n.

early 14c., "person under control or dominion of another," from Old French suget, subget "a subject person or thing" (12c.), from Latin subiectus, noun use of past participle of subicere "to place under," from sub "under" (see sub-) + combining form of iacere "to throw" (see jet (v.)). In 14c., sugges, sogetis, subgit, sugette; form re-Latinized in English 16c.

Meaning "person or thing that may be acted upon" is recorded from 1590s. Meaning "subject matter of an art or science" is attested from 1540s, probably short for subject matter (late 14c.), which is from Medieval Latin subjecta materia, a loan translation of Greek hypokeimene hyle (Aristotle), literally "that which lies beneath." Likewise some specific uses in logic and philosophy are borrowed directly from Latin subjectum "foundation or subject of a proposition," a loan-translation of Aristotle's to hypokeimenon. Grammatical sense is recorded from 1630s. The adjective is attested from early 14c.

subject

v.

late 14c., "to make (a person or nation) subject to another by force," also "to render submissive or dependent," from Latin subjectare, from the root of subject (n.). Meaning "to lay open or expose to (some force or occurrence)" is recorded from 1540s. Related: Subjected; subjecting.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
subjecting in Culture

subject

A part of every sentence. The subject tells what the sentence is about; it contains the main noun or noun phrase: “The car crashed into the railing”; “Judy and two of her friends were elected to the National Honor Society.” In some cases the subject is implied: you is the implied subject in “Get me some orange juice.” (Compare predicate.)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Idioms and Phrases with subjecting

subject

In addition to the idiom beginning with subject

also see:

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.