Subject

Subject
Subject Sub*ject", n. [From L. subjectus, through an old form of F. sujet. See {Subject}, a.] 1. That which is placed under the authority, dominion, control, or influence of something else. [1913 Webster]

2. Specifically: One who is under the authority of a ruler and is governed by his laws; one who owes allegiance to a sovereign or a sovereign state; as, a subject of Queen Victoria; a British subject; a subject of the United States. [1913 Webster]

Was never subject longed to be a king, As I do long and wish to be a subject. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

The subject must obey his prince, because God commands it, human laws require it. --Swift. [1913 Webster]

Note: In international law, the term subject is convertible with citizen. [1913 Webster]

3. That which is subjected, or submitted to, any physical operation or process; specifically (Anat.), a dead body used for the purpose of dissection. [1913 Webster]

4. That which is brought under thought or examination; that which is taken up for discussion, or concerning which anything is said or done. ``This subject for heroic song.'' --Milton. [1913 Webster]

Make choice of a subject, beautiful and noble, which . . . shall afford an ample field of matter wherein to expatiate. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]

The unhappy subject of these quarrels. --Shak. [1913 Webster]

5. The person who is treated of; the hero of a piece; the chief character. [1913 Webster]

Writers of particular lives . . . are apt to be prejudiced in favor of their subject. --C. Middleton. [1913 Webster]

6. (Logic & Gram.) That of which anything is affirmed or predicated; the theme of a proposition or discourse; that which is spoken of; as, the nominative case is the subject of the verb. [1913 Webster]

The subject of a proposition is that concerning which anything is affirmed or denied. --I. Watts. [1913 Webster]

7. That in which any quality, attribute, or relation, whether spiritual or material, inheres, or to which any of these appertain; substance; substratum. [1913 Webster]

That which manifests its qualities -- in other words, that in which the appearing causes inhere, that to which they belong -- is called their subject or substance, or substratum. --Sir W. Hamilton. [1913 Webster]

8. Hence, that substance or being which is conscious of its own operations; the mind; the thinking agent or principal; the ego. Cf. {Object}, n., 2. [1913 Webster]

The philosophers of mind have, in a manner, usurped and appropriated this expression to themselves. Accordingly, in their hands, the phrases conscious or thinking subject, and subject, mean precisely the same thing. --Sir W. Hamilton. [1913 Webster]

9. (Mus.) The principal theme, or leading thought or phrase, on which a composition or a movement is based. [1913 Webster]

The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song. --Rockstro. [1913 Webster]

10. (Fine Arts) The incident, scene, figure, group, etc., which it is the aim of the artist to represent. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Subject — may refer to: *An area of interest, also called a topic meaning , thing you are talking or discussing about . It can also be termed as the area of discussion . See Lists of topics and Lists of basic topics. **An area of knowledge; **The focus of… …   Wikipedia

  • subject — n 1 *citizen, national Antonyms: sovereign 2 Subject, matter, subject matter, argument, topic, text, theme, motive, motif, leitmotiv can mean the basic idea or the principal object of thought or attention in a discourse or artistic composition.… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • subject — [sub′jikt, sub′jekt΄; ] for v. [ səb jekt′] adj. [ME suget < OFr < L subjectus, pp. of subjicere, to place under, put under, subject < sub , under + jacere, to throw: see JET1] 1. under the authority or control of, or owing allegiance to …   English World dictionary

  • subject — sub·ject / səb ˌjekt/ n: the person upon whose life a life insurance policy is written and upon whose death the policy is payable: insured compare beneficiary b, policyholder Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster …   Law dictionary

  • Subject — Sub*ject , a. [OE. suget, OF. souzget, sougit (in which the first part is L. subtus below, fr. sub under), subgiet, subject, F. sujet, from L. subjectus lying under, subjected, p. p. of subjicere, subicere, to throw, lay, place, or bring under;… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Subject — Sub*ject , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Subjected}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Subjecting}.] 1. To bring under control, power, or dominion; to make subject; to subordinate; to subdue. [1913 Webster] Firmness of mind that subjects every gratification of sense to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Subject-to — is a way of purchasing property when there is an existing lien (i.e., Mortgage, Deed of Trust). It is defined as: Acquiring ownership to a property from a seller without paying off the existing liens secured against the property. It is a way of… …   Wikipedia

  • subject to — 1》 likely or prone to be affected by (something bad). → subject subject to conditionally upon. → subject …   English new terms dictionary

  • subject — [adj] at the mercy of; answerable accountable, apt, at one’s feet*, bound by, captive, collateral, conditional, contingent, controlled, dependent, directed, disposed, enslaved, exposed, governed, in danger of, inferior, liable, likely, obedient,… …   New thesaurus

  • subject — ► NOUN 1) a person or thing that is being discussed, studied, or dealt with. 2) a branch of knowledge studied or taught. 3) Grammar the word or words in a sentence that name who or what performs the action of the verb. 4) a member of a state… …   English terms dictionary

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