Main Entry: ¹sub·ject

Pronunciation: \ˈsəb-jikt, -(ˌ)jekt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English suget, subget, from Anglo-French, from Latin subjectus one under authority & subjectum subject of a proposition, from masculine & neuter respectively of subjectus, past participle of subicere to subject, literally, to throw under, from sub- + jacere to throw — more at jet

Date: 14th century

1 : one that is placed under authority or control: as a : vassal b (1) : one subject to a monarch and governed by the monarch's law (2) : one who lives in the territory of, enjoys the protection of, and owes allegiance to a sovereign power or state
2 a : that of which a quality, attribute, or relation may be affirmed or in which it may inhere b : substratum; especially : material or essential substance c : the mind, ego, or agent of whatever sort that sustains or assumes the form of thought or consciousness
3 a : a department of knowledge or learning b : motive, cause c (1) : one that is acted on <the helpless subject of their cruelty> (2) : an individual whose reactions or responses are studied (3) : a dead body for anatomical study and dissection d (1) : something concerning which something is said or done <the subject of the essay> (2) : something represented or indicated in a work of art e (1) : the term of a logical proposition that denotes the entity of which something is affirmed or denied; also : the entity denoted (2) : a word or word group denoting that of which something is predicated f : the principal melodic phrase on which a musical composition or movement is based

synonyms see citizen

— sub·ject·less \-ləs\ adjective