subject

[ noun adjective suhb-jikt; verb suhb-jekt ]

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.

   Synonyms: rationale, reason

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:

   Swedish subjects are guaranteed access to equal education in childhood.

9. Grammar. (in many languages, such as English) one of the two main parts of a sentence, containing a noun or pronoun and all of its modifiers, which generally refers to the one performing an action, experiencing a condition, or being in a state expressed by a verb: for example, Our best employee in Our best employee gave notice, or He in He is still here. Compare predicate ( def 1 ).
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 ).

   Synonyms: subservient, subordinate

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.

   Synonyms: contingent

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.

subject

noun

1. 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 calledtheme 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
    change the subject to select a new topic of conversation

adjective

1. being under the power or sovereignty of a ruler, government, etc

   subject peoples

2. showing a tendency (towards)

   a child subject to indiscipline

3. exposed or vulnerable

   subject to ribaldry

4. conditional upon

   the results are subject to correction

adverb

1. subject to
   subject to preposition under the condition that

   we accept, subject to her agreement

verb

1. foll by to to cause to undergo the application (of)

   they subjected him to torture

2. often passivefoll byto 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

subject

1. 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 .)

Derived Forms

• subˌjectaˈbility, noun
• ˈsubjectless, adjective
• ˈsubject-ˌlike, adjective
• subˈjectable, adjective

Other Words From

• sub·ject·a·ble adjective
• sub·ject·a·bil·i·ty [s, uh, b-jek-t, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• sub·ject·less adjective
• sub·ject·like adjective
• non·sub·ject noun adjective
• pre·sub·ject verb (used with object)
• re·sub·ject verb (used with object)
• un·sub·ject adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of subject¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; (adjective) from Latin subjectus “placed beneath, inferior, open to inspection,” originally the past participle of subicere “to throw or place beneath, make subject,” replacing Middle English suget, from Old French; (noun) from Late Latin subjectum “grammatical or dialectical subject,” replacing Middle English suget, as above; (verb) from Latin subjectāre, frequentative of subicere

Word History and Origins

Origin of subject¹

C14: from Latin subjectus brought under, from subicere to place under, from sub- + jacere to throw

Idioms and Phrases

In addition to the idiom beginning with subject , also see change the subject .

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Still, all of the company’s customers and others using this pricing mechanism were subject to such volatility.

From Voice of San Diego

After I folded the Duo, sometimes I ended up with the camera facing toward me, not my subject, and the Duo remained in selfie mode.

From Fortune

How and when that collapse might occur is the subject of a five-year international collaborative research effort.

From Science News

Kelvin Barrios could be the subject of yet another San Diego ethics violation.

From Voice of San Diego

This article was co-published with The Atlantic and is not subject to our Creative Commons license.

From ProPublica

Throughout the fifties, in city after city, fluoridation became the subject of fierce debate.

From The Daily Beast

This is a provocative subject that is ready-made for the classroom.

From The Daily Beast

Imam Bheel, as locals call him, was added to a list of worldwide traffickers subject to U.S. sanctions in 2009.

From The Daily Beast

He allows the subject to float over to Hitchcock with a calm directness that I admire.

From The Daily Beast

No one knows what they're about but Boba Fett is rumored to be the subject of one.

From The Daily Beast

No man should regard the subject of religion as decided for him until he has read The Golden Bough.

From Project Gutenberg

But a little earlier still, to be an Infidel was to be an outlaw, subject to the penalty of death.

From Project Gutenberg

Her manner amazed him; it was so unlike the aspect of fair interpretation, with which she usually discussed a dubious subject.

From Project Gutenberg

Her "St. Agnes" is an interesting rendering of a well-worn subject.

From Project Gutenberg

No trait is better marked in the normal child than the impulse to subject others to his own disciplinary system.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accountable
• apt
• conditional
• dependent
• exposed
• inferior
• liable
• likely
• prone
• secondary
• sensitive
• susceptible
• vulnerable