What does "subject" mean?
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.
Subject
/ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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.
- Grammar: subject is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: topic, above, academic specialty, academic subject area.
- Useful contrasts: icelandic konungur, logical predicates, predicative.
- Usage evidence: The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
How to use "subject"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "subject" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "subject" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "subject" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "subject" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "subject" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "topic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "subject", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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."
- 2 something (a person or object or scene) selected by an artist or photographer for graphic representation wordnet
- 3 By faulty generalisation from a clause's grammatical subject often being coinstantiated with one: an actor or agent; one who takes action.
"the subjects and objects of power"
- 4 some situation or event that is thought about wordnet
- 5 The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.
"this subject for heroic song"
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 a branch of knowledge wordnet
- 7 A particular area of study.
"Her favorite subject is physics."
- 8 (grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated wordnet
- 9 A citizen in a monarchy.
"I am a British subject."
- 10 (logic) the first term of a proposition wordnet
- 11 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."
- 12 the subject matter of a conversation or discussion wordnet
- 13 The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.
"The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song."
- 14 a person who owes allegiance to that nation wordnet
- 15 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"
- 16 a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation wordnet
- 17 A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.
- 18 That of which something is stated.
- 19 The variable in terms of which an expression is defined.
"Making x the subject of x² − 6x + 3y = 0, we have x = 3 ± √(9 − 3y)."
Verb
- 1 To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted. transitive
"I came here to buy souvenirs, not to be subjected to a tirade of abuse!"
- 2 make accountable for wordnet
- 3 To make subordinate or subservient; to subdue or enslave; to subjugate. transitive
- 4 cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to wordnet
- 5 make subservient; force to submit or subdue wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Likely to be affected by or to experience something; liable.
"a country subject to extreme heat"
- 2 Conditional upon something; used with to.
"The local board sets local policy, subject to approval from the State Board."
- 3 Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
"Long he them bore above the subject plain"
- 4 Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.
", Book I Esau was never subject to Jacob."
Adjective
- 1 likely to be affected by something wordnet
- 2 being under the power or sovereignty of another or others wordnet
- 3 possibly accepting or permitting wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "subject"?
Common synonyms include: topic, above, academic specialty, academic subject area, academic topic, action.
How do you use "subject" in a sentence?
The war on Iraq is a volatile subject of political debate; any wrong word and a heated argument could spark.
How do you pronounce "subject"?
Pronounced /ˈsʌb.d͡ʒɛkt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English subget, from Old French suget, from Latin subiectus (“lying under or near, adjacent, also subject, exposed”), as a noun, 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”), as a calque of Ancient Greek ὑποκείμενον (hupokeímenon).
Etymology 2
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”).
Etymology 3
From Medieval Latin subiectō, iterative of subiciō (“throw, lay, place”), from sub (“under, at the foot of”) + iaciō (“throw, hurl”).