subject

American  

[suhb-jikt, suhb-jekt] / ˈsʌb dʒɪkt, səbˈdʒɛkt /

noun

subjects plural

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.

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.

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adjective

1. being under domination, control, or influence (often followed byto ).

   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 byto ).

3. open or exposed (usually followed byto ).

   subject to ridicule.

4. being dependent or conditional upon something (usually followed byto ).

   His consent is subject to your approval.

   Synonyms:

   contingent

5. being under the necessity of undergoing something (usually followed byto ).

   All beings are subject to death.

6. liable; prone (usually followed byto ).

   subject to headaches.

verb (used with object)

subjects, present (3rd person singular) subjected, past participle, past subjecting present participle

1. to bring under domination, control, or influence (usually followed byto ).

2. to bring under dominion, rule, or authority, as of a conqueror or a governing power (usually followed byto ).

3. to cause to undergo the action of something specified; expose (usually followed byto ).

   to subject metal to intense heat.

4. to make liable or vulnerable; lay open; expose (usually followed byto ).

   to subject oneself to ridicule.

5. Obsolete. to place beneath something; make subjacent.

subject British  

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 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. to select a new topic of conversation

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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. (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. 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 Cultural  

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.)

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subject Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing subject

• change the subject

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Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsubject
  noun
• subjectability
  noun
• presubject
  verb (used with object)
• resubject
  verb (used with object)
• subject-like
  adjective
• subjectable
  adjective
• subjectless
  adjective
• subjectlike
  adjective
• unsubject
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• subjects
  plural

Participles

• subjecting
  present
• subjected
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• subject
  simple
• subjects
  simple
• have subjected
  perfect
• has subjected
  perfect
• am subjecting
  progressive
• are subjecting
  progressive
• is subjecting
  progressive
• have been subjecting
  perfect progressive
• has been subjecting
  perfect progressive

Past

• subjected
  simple
• had subjected
  perfect
• was subjecting
  progressive
• were subjecting
  progressive
• had been subjecting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will subject
  simple
• will have subjected
  perfect
• will be subjecting
  progressive
• will have been subjecting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of subject

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

Explanation

Subject can mean "topic," as in "Let's change the subject." It can also mean "to make someone do something," as in "Don't let your dad subject you to an hour-long lecture on fishing." It can also mean everyone in a country who is not the ruler, as in "The king greeted his subjects when he returned from abroad." A subject could be a broad branch of knowledge, like Biology, or a very narrow focus, like the effects of drought on avocados. If you are painting a portrait, the person posing for you is your subject. Subject can also mean beholden, or subordinate. If you are traveling in England, but not an English subject, or citizen, then you are still subject to English law.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

subject subjects subjected subjecting

This has been a touchy subject for some time within the US administration.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The interim final rule takes effect Tuesday and is subject to a 60-day public comment period.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

On that subject, he dismissed concerns that US ammunition stockpiles were running low nearly five months after war broke out.

From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026

Stock held by Musk and select other insiders, which together account for over 63% of pre-IPO outstanding shares, is subject to a longer lockup.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026

“On the subject of geography, what is the highest elevation in the state of Indiana?”

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

There is also skepticism over whether Warsh’s ambitious timeline and range of subjects will permit the kind of deliberation a committee this size needs to reach consensus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Pupils will be able to study subjects like manufacturing and AI alongside core academic learning from age 14 under new government plans for education in England.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Somehow, they have become the sole experts on all subjects, from air pollution to monetary policy to human biology.

From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026

It’s not simply that we watch Adrian age or revisit some of McElwee’s “Sherman’s March” subjects.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026

They looked like loyal subjects from some history video, awaiting the arrival of a king or queen.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Compounded GLP-1 drugs are not subjected to the same rigorous review process as medications approved by the U.S.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

He was subjected to a roadside breath test, which returned a negative result.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

If the city’s lawyers are smart, they also advised the mayor that attempting an arrest could have subjected him and his collaborators to criminal liability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Petro was subjected to US sanctions at one point, but the pair have mended their relationship in recent months.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

As Saidy later related, the house was subjected to an unending media barrage.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Pyongyang withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1993 and has since conducted six nuclear tests, subjecting it to multiple United Nations resolutions, and is believed to possess dozens of nuclear warheads.

From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026

Those doubling down, however, are subjecting themselves to public wrath.

From Slate ● Jun. 1, 2026

And anything was better than subjecting yourself to the shuttle, he joked.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026

The plaintiff and the law firm are hit with a higher tax bill as a result of tax-code provisions subjecting recoveries to ordinary income-tax rates, which top out at 37%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026

But I’d never dreamed he was thinking of subjecting me to this.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Related Words

• affair
• business
• case
• course
• discussion
• idea
• item
• material
• object
• point
• problem
• proposal
• question
• study
• subject matter
• substance
• theme
• thought
• topic