Etimology
From Middle English subget, from Old French suget, from Latin subiectus (“lying under or near, adjacent, also subject, exposed”), as a noun, subiectus (“a subject, an inferior”), subiectum (“the subject of a proposition”), past participle of subiciō (“throw, lay, place”), from sub (“under, at the foot of”) + iaciō (“throw, hurl”), as a calque of Ancient Greek ὑποκείμενον (hupokeímenon).
adjective
subject (comparative more subject, superlative most subject)
Likely to be affected by or to experience something.
Conditional upon something; used with to.
Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.
Examples
a country subject to extreme heat
Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
He's subject to sneezing fits.
All human things are subject to decay.
The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them […] is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies. […] current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate […] “stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled.
The local board sets local policy, subject to approval from the State Board.
Long he them bore above the subject plain
Esau was never subject to Jacob.
Etimology
From Latin subiectus (“a subject, an inferior”), subiectum (“the subject of a proposition”), past participle of subiciō (“throw, lay, place”), from sub (“under, at the foot of”) + iaciō (“throw, hurl”).
noun
subject (plural subjects)
(grammar) The noun, pronoun or noun phrase about whom the statement is made. In active clauses with verbs denoting an action, the subject is the actor. In clauses in the passive voice the subject is the target of the action.
By faulty generalisation of a clauses subject being one: an actor or agent; one who takes action. The following example would mean that the subject subjects its subjects to its rule:
The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.
A particular area of study.
A citizen in a monarchy.
A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority.
(music) The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.
A human, animal or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc.
(philosophy) A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.
(logic) That of which something is stated.
(mathematics) The variable in terms of which an expression is defined.
Examples
In the sentence ‘The cat ate the mouse’, ‘the cat’ is the subject, ‘the mouse’ being the object.
In this passive sentence, the subject is the target of an action: ‘The early worm is caught by the early bird.’
The subjects and objects of power.
this subject for heroic song
Make choice of a subject beautifull and noble, which […] shall […] afford […] an ample field of matter wherein to expatiate itself.
I am th' unhappy subject of these quarrels. All these quarrels are about me.
Then I had a good think on the subject of the hocussing of Cigarette, and I was reluctantly bound to admit that once again the man in the corner had found the only possible solution to the mystery.
The departure was not unduly prolonged. […] Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments on the subject of Divine Intention in the disposition of buckets; farewells and last commiserations; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.
Her favorite subject is physics.
One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. […] But out of sight is out of mind. And that, together with the inherent yuckiness of the subject, means that many old sewers have been neglected and are in dire need of repair.
I am a British subject.
Ignat'ev refused to concede these points, but offered other concessions instead: Russia would not demand a consulate in Ch'i-ch'i-ha-erh or Chang-chia-k'ou ; it would permit Chinese subjects to continue living along the Ussuri river as Chinese subjects; and it would limit to 200 the number of Russian traders in Peking.
[…] the Grand Khan seemed to grasp the "truth" of the religion and might become a convert, thereby gaining for Christianity the souls of all his subjects.
The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song.
Writers of particular lives […] are apt to be prejudiced in favour of their subject.
It is also essential for those who come to the subject 'fresh' to gain the insight that will bridge their knowledge from being a subject of hypnosis to a potential practitioner.
Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus. That’s because the lenses that are excellent at magnifying tiny subjects produce a narrow depth of field.
Making x the subject of x2 − 6x + 3y = 0, we have x = 3 ± √.
Related words
synonyms
(discussion): matter, topic
Etimology
From Medieval Latin subiectō, iterative of subiciō (“throw, lay, place”), from sub (“under, at the foot of”) + iaciō (“throw, hurl”).
verb
subject (third-person singular simple present subjects, present participle subjecting, simple past and past participle subjected)
(transitive, construed with to) To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted.
(transitive) To make subordinate or subservient; to subdue or enslave.
Examples
I came here to buy souvenirs, not to be subjected to a tirade of abuse!
Related words
synonyms
underbring