subject
nounEtymology 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”).
11 senses
- 1The noun, pronoun or noun phrase about whom the…
- 2By extension: an actor or agent; one who takes action.
- 3The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion…
- 4A particular area of study.
- 5A citizen in a monarchy.
- 6A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or…
- 7The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.
- 8A human, animal, or an inanimate object that is being…
- 9A being that has subjective experiences, subjective…
- 10That of which something is stated.
- 11A variable isolated on one side of an equality…
1
Grammar, Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences 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.
- A subject (Sub) is a word, phrase, or clause that performs the action of or acts upon the verb in the predicate.2021, Heather Marie Kosur, “Chapter 6: Grammatical Functions”, in A Form-Function Description of the Grammar of the Modern English Language: Book 1 (Level 9A), Rock Pickle Publishing, →ISBN, page 101:
- In the active sentence ‘The cat ate the mouse’, ‘the cat’ is the subject and ‘the mouse’ is the object.
1 more example
- In the passive sentence ‘the mouse was eaten by the cat’, ‘the mouse’ is the subject even though it is the target (patient) of the action, and ‘the cat’ is the agent.
2
By extension: an actor or agent; one who takes action.
- the subjects and objects of power
3
The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.
- this subject for heroic song1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
- Make choice of a subject beautifull and noble, which […] shall […]afford[…] an ample field of matter wherein to expatiate itself.1695, C[harles] A[lphonse] du Fresnoy, translated by John Dryden, De Arte Graphica. The Art of Painting, […], London: […] J[ohn] Heptinstall for W. Rogers, […], →OCLC:
3 more examples
- I am th' unhappy subject of these quarrels. All these quarrels are about me.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
- 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.1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Hocussing of Cigarette”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
- 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.1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
4
A particular area of study.
- 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.2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891:
5
A citizen in a monarchy.
- I am a British subject.
- Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, and without prejudice to section 39, this Act shall apply to proceedings by or against the Crown in like manner as it applies to proceedings between subjects.1980, Parliament of the United Kingdom, “Part III, section 37(1)”, in Limitation Act 1980ᵂⁱᵏⁱˢᵒᵘʳᶜᵉ, page 26:
1 more example
- 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 (Kalgan); 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.1996, S. C. M. Paine, Imperial Rivals: China, Russia, and Their Disputed Frontier, M. E. Sharpe, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 89:
6
A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority.
- […]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.2020, Alan Mikhail, God's Shadow, →ISBN, page 93:
7
Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.
- The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song.1878, William Smith Rockstro, “Subject”, in A Dictionary of Music and Musicians:
8
A human, animal, or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc; especially, one being studied in a scientific experiment, such as a clinical trial.
- human subject research
- animal subjects
3 more examples
- Writers of particular lives[…]are apt to be prejudiced in favour of their subject.1748, Conyers Middleton, Life of Cicero:
- 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.2010, Ursula James, Clinical Hypnosis Textbook: A Guide for Practical Intervention, page 73:
- 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.2013 July-August, Catherine Clabby, “Focus on Everything”, in American Scientist:
9
Human sciences, Philosophy, Sciences A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.
10
Human sciences, Logic, Mathematics, Philosophy, Sciences That of which something is stated.
11
Mathematics, Sciences A variable isolated on one side of an equality, expressed in terms of other variables.
- Making x the subject of x²-6x#43;3y#61;0, we get x#61;3#92;pm#92;sqrt#123;9-3y#125;.
- Derived terms
50 terms
between-subjects, change the subject, cosubject, countersubject, drop the subject, dummy subject, echo subject, federal subject, historical subject, impersonal subject, intersubject, intrasubject, introductory subject, metasubject, minor subject, multisubject, nonsubject, null-subject language, oblique subject, postsubject, preparatory subject, presubject, quirky subject, short subject, subject case, subject clause, subject complement, subject-control, subjectdom, subjecter, subject heading, subjecthood, subjectification, subjectify, subject indexing, subjectist, subjective, subjectless, subjectlike, subject matter, subject-matter, subject matter jurisdiction, subject of labor, subject-oriented, subject pronoun, subjectship, subject title, subjectwise, tool subject, within-subjects