Adjacent Words

Subject definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SUBJECT, a.
1. Placed or situate under.
--The eastern tower whose height commands, as subject, all the vale, to see the fight.
2. Being under the power and dominion of another; as, Jamaica is subject to Great Britain.
Esau was never subject to Jacob.
3. Exposed; liable from extraneous causes; as a country subject to extreme heat or cold.
4. Liable from inherent causes; prone; disposed.
All human things are subject to decay.
5. Being that on which nay thing operates, whether intellectual or material; as the subject-matter of a discourse.
6. Obedient. Titus 3. Colossians 2.
SUBJECT, n. [L.]
1. One that owes allegiance to a sovereign and is governed by his laws. The natives of Great Britain are subjects of the British government. The natives of the United States, and naturalized foreigners, are subjects of the federal government. Men in free governments, are subjects as well as citizens; as citizens, they enjoy rights and franchises; as subjects, they are bound to obey the laws.
The subject must obey his prince, because God commands it, and human laws require it.
2. That on which any mental operation is performed; that which is treated or handled; as a subject of discussion before the legislature; a subject of negotiation.
This subject for heroic song pleasd me.
The subject of a proposition is that concerning which any thing is affirmed or denied.
3. That on which any physical operation is performed; as a subject for dissection or amputation.
4. That in which any thing inheres or exists.
Anger is certainly a kind of baseness, as it appears well in the weakness of those subjects in whom it reigns.
5. The person who is treated of; the hero of a piece.
Authors of biography are apt to be prejudiced in favor of their subject.
6. In grammar, the nominative case to a verb passive.
SUBJECT, v.t.
1. To bring under the power or dominion of. Alexander subjected a great part of the civilized world to his dominion.
Firmness of mind that subjects every gratification of sense to the rule of right reason--
2. To put under or within the power of.
In one short view subjected to our eye, gods, emperors, heroes, sages, beauties lie.
3. To enslave; to make obnoxious.
He is the most subjected, the most enslaved, who is so in his understanding.
4. To expose; to make liable. Credulity subjects a person to impositions.
5. To submit; to make accountable.
God is not bound to subject his ways of operation to the scrutiny of our thoughts--
6. To make subservient.
--Subjected to his service angel wings.
7. To cause to undergo; as, to subject a substance to a white heat; to subject it to a rigid test.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: possibly accepting or permitting; "a passage capable of misinterpretation"; "open to interpretation"; "an issue open to question"; "the time is fixed by the director and players and therefore subject to much variation" [syn: capable, open, subject]
2: being under the power or sovereignty of another or others; "subject peoples"; "a dependent prince" [syn: subject, dependent]
3: likely to be affected by something; "the bond is subject to taxation"; "he is subject to fits of depression" n
1: the subject matter of a conversation or discussion; "he didn't want to discuss that subject"; "it was a very sensitive topic"; "his letters were always on the theme of love" [syn: subject, topic, theme]
2: something (a person or object or scene) selected by an artist or photographer for graphic representation; "a moving picture of a train is more dramatic than a still picture of the same subject" [syn: subject, content, depicted object]
3: a branch of knowledge; "in what discipline is his doctorate?"; "teachers should be well trained in their subject"; "anthropology is the study of human beings" [syn: discipline, subject, subject area, subject field, field, field of study, study, bailiwick]
4: some situation or event that is thought about; "he kept drifting off the topic"; "he had been thinking about the subject for several years"; "it is a matter for the police" [syn: topic, subject, issue, matter]
5: (grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated
6: a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation; "the subjects for this investigation were selected randomly"; "the cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities" [syn: subject, case, guinea pig]
7: a person who owes allegiance to that nation; "a monarch has a duty to his subjects" [syn: national, subject]
8: (logic) the first term of a proposition v
1: cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to; "He subjected me to his awful poetry"; "The sergeant subjected the new recruits to many drills"; "People in Chernobyl were subjected to radiation"
2: make accountable for; "He did not want to subject himself to the judgments of his superiors"
3: make subservient; force to submit or subdue [syn: subjugate, subject]
4: refer for judgment or consideration; "The lawyers submitted the material to the court" [syn: submit, subject]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English suget, subget, from Anglo-French, from Latin subjectus one under authority & subjectum subject of a proposition, from masculine & neuter respectively of subjectus, past participle of subicere to subject, literally, to throw under, from sub- + jacere to throw — more at jet Date: 14th century 1. one that is placed under authority or control: 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 b. motive, cause 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 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 Synonyms: see citizen • subjectless adjective II. adjective Date: 14th century 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> Synonyms: see liable III. transitive verb Date: 14th century 1. a. to bring under control or dominion ; subjugate b. to make (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> • subjection noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n., adj., adv., & v. --n. 1 a a matter, theme, etc. to be discussed, described, represented, dealt with, etc. b (foll. by for) a person, circumstance, etc., giving rise to specified feeling, action, etc. (a subject for congratulation). 2 a department or field of study (his best subject is geography). 3 Gram. a noun or its equivalent about which a sentence is predicated and with which the verb agrees. 4 a any person except a monarch living under a monarchy or any other form of government (the ruler and his subjects). b any person owing obedience to another. 5 Philos. a a thinking or feeling entity; the conscious mind; the ego, esp. as opposed to anything external to the mind. b the central substance or core of a thing as opposed to its attributes. 6 Mus. a theme of a fugue or sonata; a leading phrase or motif. 7 a person of specified mental or physical tendencies (a hysterical subject). 8 Logic the part of a proposition about which a statement is made. 9 (in full subject for dissection) a dead body. --adj. 1 (often foll. by to) owing obedience to a government, colonizing power, force, etc.; in subjection. 2 (foll. by to) liable, exposed, or prone to (is subject to infection). 3 (foll. by to) conditional upon; on the assumption of (the arrangement is subject to your approval). --adv. (foll. by to) conditionally upon (subject to your consent, I propose to try again). --v.tr. 1 (foll. by to) make liable; expose; treat (subjected us to hours of waiting). 2 (usu. foll. by to) subdue (a nation, person, etc.) to one's sway etc. Phrases and idioms: on the subject of concerning, about. subject and object Psychol. the ego or self and the non-ego; consciousness and that of which it is or may be conscious. subject catalogue a catalogue, esp. in a library, arranged according to the subjects treated. subject-heading a heading in an index collecting references to a subject. subject-matter the matter treated of in a book, lawsuit, etc. Derivatives: subjection n. subjectless adj. Etymology: ME soget etc. f. OF suget etc. f. L subjectus past part. of subjicere (as SUB-, jacere throw)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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. 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. Was never subject longed to be a king, As I do long and wish to be a subject. --Shak. The subject must obey his prince, because God commands it, human laws require it. --Swift. Note: In international law, the term subject is convertible with citizen. 3. That which is subjected, or submitted to, any physical operation or process; specifically (Anat.), a dead body used for the purpose of dissection.

Webster's 1913 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; sub under + jacere to throw. See Jet a shooting forth.] 1. Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation. [Obs.] --Spenser. 2. Placed under the power of another; specifically (International Law), owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state; as, Jamaica is subject to Great Britain. Esau was never subject to Jacob. --Locke. 3. Exposed; liable; prone; disposed; as, a country subject to extreme heat; men subject to temptation. All human things are subject to decay. --Dryden. 4. Obedient; submissive. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities. --Titus iii. 1. Syn: Liable; subordinate; inferior; obnoxious; exposed. See Liable.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

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. Firmness of mind that subjects every gratification of sense to the rule of right reason. --C. Middleton. In one short view subjected to our eye, Gods, emperors, heroes, sages, beauties, lie. --Pope. He is the most subjected, the most ?nslaved, who is so in his understanding. --Locke. 2. To expose; to make obnoxious or liable; as, credulity subjects a person to impositions. 3. To submit; to make accountable. God is not bound to subject his ways of operation to the scrutiny of our thoughts. --Locke. 4. To make subservient. Subjected to his service angel wings. --Milton. 5. To cause to undergo; as, to subject a substance to a white heat; to subject a person to a rigid test.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(subjected) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. The subject of something such as a conversation, letter, or book is the thing that is being discussed or written about. It was I who first raised the subject of plastic surgery. ...the president's own views on the subject. N-COUNT 2. Someone or something that is the subject of criticism, study, or an investigation is being criticized, studied, or investigated. Over the past few years, some of the positions Mr. Meredith has adopted have made him the subject of criticism... He's now the subject of an official inquiry. N-COUNT: N of n 3. A subject is an area of knowledge or study, especially one that you study at school, college, or university. ...a tutor in maths and science subjects. N-COUNT 4. In an experiment or piece of research, the subject is the person or animal that is being tested or studied. (FORMAL) 'White noise' was played into the subject's ears through headphones... N-COUNT 5. An artist's subjects are the people, animals, or objects that he or she paints, models, or photographs. Her favourite subjects are shells spotted on beach walks. N-COUNT: with supp 6. In grammar, the subject of a clause is the noun group that refers to the person or thing that is doing the action expressed by the verb. For example, in 'My cat keeps catching birds', 'my cat' is the subject. N-COUNT 7. To be subject to something means to be affected by it or to be likely to be affected by it. Prices may be subject to alteration... In addition, interest on Treasury issues isn't subject to state and local income taxes. ADJ: v-link ADJ to n 8. If someone is subject to a particular set of rules or laws, they have to obey those rules or laws. The tribunal is unique because Mr Jones is not subject to the normal police discipline code. ADJ: v-link ADJ to n 9. If you subject someone to something unpleasant, you make them experience it. ...the man who had subjected her to four years of beatings and abuse... VERB: V n to n 10. The people who live in or belong to a particular country, usually one ruled by a monarch, are the subjects of that monarch or country. Roughly half of them are British subjects. N-COUNT: with supp 11. When someone involved in a conversation changes the subject, they start talking about something else, often because the previous subject was embarrassing. He tried to change the subject, but she wasn't to be put off. PHRASE: V inflects 12. If an event will take place subject to a condition, it will take place only if that thing happens. They denied a report that Egypt had agreed to a summit, subject to certain conditions. PREP-PHRASE

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Subdue, control, bring under rule, make submissive, make subordinate. 2. Enslave, enthrall. 3. Expose, make liable. 4. Submit, refer, make accountable. 5. Make subservient. 6. Cause to undergo. II. a. 1. Underneath, beneath, placed under, subjacent. 2. Subservient, subjected, subordinate, inferior, in bondage, under the lash, under one's thumb, under one's command, at one's command, at one's beck or call, at one's mercy. 3. Submissive, obedient. 4. Exposed, liable, prone, disposed, obnoxious. III. n. 1. Dependant, subordinate, person owing allegiance. 2. Topic, theme, thesis, point, matter, subject-matter, matter in hand, object-matter. 3. Hero, person treated of. 4. (Gram. and Log.) Subject-term, leading term, nominative. 5. (Anat.) Corpse, dead body, carcass, body for dissection, cadaver. 6. (Archaic Met.) Substance. 7. Recipient, object, case, patient. 8. Experiencing mind. 9. Mind, thinking being, conscious being, conscious subject, self, ego, me.

Moby Thesaurus

IC analysis, above, academic specialty, action, actor, affair, agent, anagnorisis, angle, answerable to, application, appositive, apt, architect, architectonics, architecture, area, argument, atmosphere, attribute, attributive, author, background, basis, bondmaid, bondman, bondslave, bondsman, bondswoman, boning, brainwork, burden, burden with, business, captive, case, catastrophe, cause, chapter, characterization, charge, chattel, chattel slave, churl, citizen, citizen by adoption, classical education, client, collateral, color, common, complement, complication, concern, concubine, conning, conquer, construction modifier, contemplation, contingent on, continuity, contrivance, core, core curriculum, cosmopolitan, cosmopolite, course, course of study, cram, cramming, creator, crush, curriculum, cutting, debt slave, deep structure, demand, demeaning, denouement, dependent, dependent on, deprive of freedom, design, development, device, direct object, disadvantaged, discipline, discussed, disenfranchise, disfranchise, disposed to, doer, dominate, drill, elective, engrossment, enjoin, enslave, enthrall, episode, essence, exact, examinant, examinate, examinee, excuse, executant, executor, executrix, exercise, expose, exposed, exposed to, extensive study, fable, fabricator, falling action, fasten upon, feudal, feudatory, field, figure, filler, focus of attention, focus of interest, form-function unit, freight with, function, galley slave, general education, general studies, gimmick, gist, grind, grinding, grounds, guinea pig, head, heading, headwork, helot, hold captive, hold down, hold in bondage, hold in captivity, hold in leash, hold in subjection, homager, humanities, humble, hyphenate, hyphenated American, immediate constituent analysis, immigrant, impose, impose on, impose upon, in the shade, incident, indirect object, inferior, inflict on, inflict upon, informant, infra dig, inspection, interviewee, issue, junior, keep down, keep under, laboratory animal, lay, lay on, lay open, lead captive, leitmotiv, less, lesser, levels, levy, liberal arts, liege, liege man, liege subject, likely, line, living issue, local color, low, lower, lowly, lucubration, main point, major, make dependent, maker, material, matter, matter in hand, meat, medium, mental labor, metic, minor, modest, modifier, mood, motif, motive, movement, mover, mythos, national, naturalized citizen, nonnative citizen, object, obnoxious, odalisque, open, open to, operant, operative, operator, ordinary, participant, patient, peon, peonize, performer, peripeteia, perpetrator, perusal, phrase, phrase structure, place, plan, plot, point, point at issue, point in question, practice, practitioner, predicate, prime mover, problem, producer, prone, prone to, proseminar, put, put down, put on, put through, put upon, quadrivium, qualifier, question, questionee, quizzee, ranks, rationale, reading, reason, recognition, referred to, refresher course, responsible for, restudy, restudying, review, rising action, rubric, saddle with, scheme, scientific education, second rank, second string, secondary, secondary plot, seminar, sensitive, serf, servant, servile, set, shallow structure, slant, slave, slavish, slot, slot and filler, source, specialty, story, strata, structure, study, studying, sub, subaltern, subdiscipline, subdue, subject matter, subject of thought, subject to, subjugate, submit, subordinate, subplot, subservient, substance, surface structure, susceptible, switch, swotting, syntactic analysis, syntactic structure, syntactics, syntax, tagmeme, take captive, task, tax, taxpayer, technical education, testee, text, thematic development, theme, theow, thesis, third rank, third string, thrall, tone, topic, tributary, trivium, twist, uncover, under, underlying structure, underprivileged, vassal, vassalize, villein, voter, vulgar, weight down with, wide reading, witness, word arrangement, word order, worker, yoke with