SUBJECT Synonyms: 169 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'subject' distinct from other similar nouns?

The words citizen and national are common synonyms of subject . While all three words mean "a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state," subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch. // the king's subjects

Q: When would 'citizen' be a good substitute for 'subject'?

In some situations, the words citizen and subject are roughly equivalent. However, citizen is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people. // the rights of a free citizen

Q: When is 'national' a more appropriate choice than 'subject'?

The synonyms national and subject are sometimes interchangeable, but national designates one who may claim the protection of a state and applies especially to one living or traveling outside that state. // American nationals working in the Middle East

subject 1 of 3

noun

ˈsəb-jikt

Definition of subject next

as in topic

a major object of interest or concern (as in a discussion or artistic composition) the subject of our discussion switched from who would be the next president to who was the greatest president in the nation's history

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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in citizen

a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it because of the tense situation in that country, British subjects were advised to return home as soon as possible

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as in reason

something (as a belief) that serves as the basis for another thing he has no subject to protest this time, but that's never stopped him before

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subject

2 of 3

verb

səb-ˈjekt

as in to dominate

to bring under one's control by force of arms Attila the Hun subjected most of Europe to his barbaric pillage

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subject

3 of 3

adjective

as in dependent

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word subject distinct from other similar nouns?

The words citizen and national are common synonyms of subject. While all three words mean "a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state," subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

When would citizen be a good substitute for subject?

In some situations, the words citizen and subject are roughly equivalent. However, citizen is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people.

the rights of a free citizen

When is national a more appropriate choice than subject?

The synonyms national and subject are sometimes interchangeable, but national designates one who may claim the protection of a state and applies especially to one living or traveling outside that state.

American nationals working in the Middle East

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of subject

Noun

The extremity of his subject provides plenty of absurdity to work with. —

Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025 While Tyreek has made headlines for his performance on the field, he's also made headlines for his controversial off-field behavior as the subject of various police investigations prior to his time in the League and throughout his career. —

Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 Jan. 2025

Verb

Club officials say gangs have subjected the club website to sustained cyber attacks, attempted to intimidate club employees, and even tried to infiltrate their ticket office by applying for jobs at Anfield. —

Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 3 Jan. 2025 Police say that was because the families did not want to subject their young daughters to the criminal justice system, and so no formal report was made. —

Ana Claudia Chacin, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025

Adjective

Today's scammer is more like a middle manager at a tech startup, running A/B tests on subject lines and optimizing conversion funnels. —

Nathan Pettijohn, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 Put Fernando memories in the subject line of your email and send to me at fernandomemories@yahoo.com. —

Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for subject

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subject

Noun

China dedicates significant resources to gathering information on foreign agencies, institutions, and individuals who might promote policies that harm Chinese interests or influence international debates on topics of importance to Beijing.

— Adam Segal, Foreign Affairs, 21 Jan. 2025
The child tax credit was also a popular topic during the presidential race in 2024, with both Trump and then-Vice President Kamala Harris publicly supporting the tax break, but disagreeing on who should get it.

— Jeremy Tanner, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025