subject

Main Entry:: ¹sub·ject
Pronunciation:: \ˈsəb-jikt, -(ˌ)jekt\
Function:: 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 consciousness3 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

— sub·ject·less

\-ləs\ adjective

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