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Definition of subjectnext
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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

subject

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verb

subject

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adjective

subjection

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noun (2)

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 formation, located at the Durupinar site in eastern Turkey, has been studied since it was first identified in the 1950s and has long been the subject of spirited debate. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026 Cinematographer Eric Yue stays close on his subjects, a handheld camera keeping us caught in their movements, queasy and intimate in equal measure. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 June 2026
Verb
The group spent years subjecting the gastric juice to a special kind of screening process. Sara Talpos — Undark, STAT, 1 June 2026 Over the course of four to six months per coil, the team will subject components to full operational electrical currents, which reach 68 kiloamperes (kA) for the toroidal field units and 48 kA for the poloidal field units. Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 May 2026
Adjective
Iran wasn't the only subject Rubio had to address. Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 2 June 2026 Under the system that had made the US a scientific superpower, peer reviewers rated the scientific quality and feasibility of grant applications, and subject-matter experts within the funding agencies used these ratings to determine which grants got funded. ArsTechnica, 29 May 2026
Noun
The Handmaid's Tale spared no sensitivities when diving into the cruelest treatment people like June, and even Lydia, experience at the hands of a totalitarian system bent on the total subjection of women. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Apr. 2026 As the man brawls with his in-laws, the boy is caught between two worlds, of male rage and female subjection. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subject
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subject
Noun
  • Backers of the mayor accused Raman of changing her position on an array of topics, including police hiring, the city’s anti-encampment law and even who should be mayor.
    Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
  • But who would not wish for more paragraphs on these topics, produced by this particular writer?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 June 2026
Noun
  • From the time of William Penn to the Civil War, Franklin said the film highlights the story of African Americans fighting for the right to become citizens in Philadelphia, and spotlighting their lasting impact ahead of America's 250th birthday.
    Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 11 June 2026
  • India 🇮🇳 A farmer in California's Imperial Valley, Saund was a major lobbyist for Congress to legalize naturalization of Indian citizens.
    Alex Knapp, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • While the dormant transmission line had been long out of use, there are many reasons to keep it from being dismantled, including growth in the region, Dunleavy said.
    Tony Saavedra, Daily News, 10 June 2026
  • However, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed the claims, citing procedural reasons.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • Mexico leads 1-0, and has dominated this match, controlling possession for 54% of the action so far.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 June 2026
  • In this book Ginzburg follows the story of Menocchio, a miller from Friuli, a man of modest means and limited historical impact compared to the major players and large-scale events that typically dominate our explorations of the past.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
Adjective
  • Guerrero Flores returned to the prison in Aragua on murder and other convictions in 2013, when Venezuela’s crisis began and corruption, mismanagement and a drop in crude prices wrecked the oil-dependent economy.
    Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2026
  • As a result, the Navajo became economically dependent upon government subsidies.
    Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Noun
  • Trump being three years younger than Biden doesn’t matter anymore, because nothing the Bidens do matters anymore.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
  • Messaging and voter contact matter, and that's where Ford may have an advantage.
    Paul Boger, NPR, 10 June 2026
Noun
  • But foreign nationals also talk to Americans.
    June 11, NPR, 11 June 2026
  • An Indian official said Thursday on X that three nationals working on the Settebello were killed in the strikes.
    Mark Osborne, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Noun
  • But the Federal Trade Commission sued to block the deal on antitrust grounds, which led Edgewell to walk away from the acquisition.
    Amelia Lucas,Melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026
  • Over the years, the garden has produced epic shows, mostly through its process of scattering the work of such art celebrities as Dale Chihuly, Alexander Calder and Deborah Butterfield among the famous flora planted in its grounds on York Street.
    Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 7 June 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subject.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subject. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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