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subject

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Definition of subject

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbdʒɛkt, ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/

  • 1a person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt with:I’ve said all there is to be said on the subject he’s the subject of a major new biography
  • a person or circumstance giving rise to a specified feeling, response, or action:the incident was the subject of international condemnation
  • a person who is the focus of scientific or medical attention or experiment: subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire
  • Logic the part of a proposition about which a statement is made.
  • Music a theme of a fugue or of a piece in sonata form; a leading phrase or motif: the chorale-like second subject of the Scherzo
  • 2a branch of knowledge studied or taught in a school, college, or university: maths is not my best subject
  • 3a member of a state other than its ruler, especially one owing allegiance to a monarch or other supreme ruler: the legislation is applicable only to British subjects
  • 4 Grammar a noun or noun phrase functioning as one of the main components of a clause, being the element about which the rest of the clause is predicated.
  • 5 Philosophy a thinking or feeling entity; the conscious mind; the ego, especially as opposed to anything external to the mind.
  • the central substance or core of a thing as opposed to its attributes.

adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/

(subject to)
  • 1likely or prone to be affected by (a particular condition or occurrence, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one):he was subject to bouts of manic depression
  • 2dependent or conditional upon:the proposed merger is subject to the approval of the shareholders
  • 3under the authority of:ministers are subject to the laws of the land
  • [attributive] under the control or domination of another ruler, country, or government:the Greeks were the first subject people to break free from Ottoman rule

adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbdʒɪkt/

(subject to)
  • conditionally upon:subject to the EC’s agreement, we intend to set up an enterprise zone in the area

verb

Pronunciation: /səbˈdʒɛkt/

[with object]
  • 1 (subject someone/thing to) cause or force someone or something to undergo (a particular experience or form of treatment, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one):he’d subjected her to a terrifying ordeal
  • 2bring (a person or country) under one’s control or jurisdiction, typically by using force:the city had been subjected to Macedonian rule

Derivatives

subjectless

Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbdʒɪk(t)lɪs/

adjective

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense '(person) owing obedience'): from Old French suget, from Latin subjectus 'brought under', past participle of subicere, from sub- 'under' + jacere 'throw'. Senses relating to philosophy, logic, and grammar are derived ultimately from Aristotle's use of to hupokeimenon meaning 'material from which things are made' and 'subject of attributes and predicates'

Grammar

In a statement clause, the subject: comes at or near the beginning of the clause comes before the verb agrees with the verb in number and person often denotes the doer of an action.It also often gives a clear idea of what the sentence is about. The subject can be: a noun:Yoga is religious. a verbal noun:Dancing is a wonderful way of keeping in training. an infinitive:To err is human. a pronoun:They argued ferociously about Ireland. a noun phrase:The core of the problem is simple. a noun clause:What he said was true.

subject in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of subject in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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