1
: one that is placed under authority or control: such 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
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
(4)
: a person who has engaged in activity that a federal prosecutor has identified as being within the scope of a federal grand jury investigation
Most white-collar criminal defendants started out as subjects of a grand jury investigation," said Bruce Green, a former federal prosecutor and a law professor at Fordham.—
Adam Serwer
Adam Serwer
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
1
: owing obedience or allegiance to the power or dominion of another
2
a
: suffering a particular liability or exposure
subject to temptation
b
: having a tendency or inclination : prone
subject to colds
3
: contingent on or under the influence of some later action
the plan is subject to discussion
subjected; subjecting; subjects
1
a
: to bring under control or dominion : subjugate
b
: to make (someone, such as oneself) amenable to the discipline and control of a superior
2
: to make liable : predispose
3
: to cause or force to undergo or endure (something unpleasant, inconvenient, or trying)
was subjected to constant verbal abuse
Synonyms
Examples of subject in a Sentence
Noun
The new museum is the subject of an article in today's paper.
Death is a difficult subject that few people like to talk about.
I need to break the news to her, but I'm not sure how to bring up the subject.
If you're interested in linguistics, I know an excellent book on the subject.
an excellent book on the subject of linguistics
These meetings would be much shorter if we could keep him from getting off the subject.
The morality of capital punishment is a frequent subject of debate.
Chemistry was my favorite subject in high school.
The classes cover a variety of subject areas, including mathematics and English.
Adjective
your extra piano lesson on Tuesdays is subject to the availability of the music room
this type of wound is highly subject to infection
Verb
Attila the Hun subjected most of Europe to his barbaric pillage.
Recent Examples on the WebThe New Yorker, 12 June 2024
The lawsuit signals the latest challenge for Price, who is the subject of a recall question that will appear on the November ballot.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 12 June 2024
Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 14 Apr. 2024
That’s Curb and Larry David distilled: Zoom out as wide on a subject or story line and magnify as much microscopic detail as possible.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
For example, naming a child Zoom could subject them to constant references to the platform, detracting from their personal identity.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for subject 
Noun
Kamensky makes a strong case for her subject’s story as both unique and representative.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
The lawsuit signals the latest challenge for Price, who is the subject of a recall question that will appear on the November ballot.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 12 June 2024
Adjective
More:Women's tackle football pioneers subject of Freep Film Festival documentary
Since its world premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, it’s drawn critical praise.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 14 Apr. 2024
That’s Curb and Larry David distilled: Zoom out as wide on a subject or story line and magnify as much microscopic detail as possible.
—Larry Fitzmaurice, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2024
Verb
Climate change has subjected every continent to deadly extreme weather and provoked droughts and famines.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
For example, naming a child Zoom could subject them to constant references to the platform, detracting from their personal identity.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 31 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for subject
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'subject.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near subject
Cite this Entry
“Subject.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subject. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subject
1 of 3 noun
sub·ject
ˈsəb-jikt 
1
a
: a person under the authority or control of another
b
: a person who owes loyalty to a monarch or state
2
a
: a department of knowledge or learning
b
: an individual (as a person or a mouse) that is studied or experimented on
c
: the person or thing discussed : topic
the subject of an essay
3
: a noun or term functioning as a noun about which something is stated in the predicate of a sentence
"child" in "the child threw the ball" is the subject
subject
2 of 3 adjective1
: owing obedience or loyalty to another
2
a
: likely to be affected by
subject to temptation
b
: having a tendency
subject to catching colds
3
: depending on
subject to your approval
subject
3 of 3 verb
sub·ject
səb-ˈjekt
1
a
: to bring under control or rule
b
: to make responsive to the discipline and control of a superior
2
: to make likely
his poor conduct subjected him to criticism
3
: to cause or force to put up with something difficult, unpleasant, or inconvenient
unwilling to subject us to embarrassment
Medical Definition
subject
noun
sub·ject
ˈsəb-jikt
1
: an individual whose reactions or responses are studied
2
: a dead body for anatomical study and dissection
Legal Definition
subject
noun
sub·ject
ˈsəb-ˌjekt
: the person upon whose life a life insurance policy is written and upon whose death the policy is payable : insured compare beneficiary sense b, policyholder
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