subject

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The thing being talked or written about.

   Let's change the subject to something more pleasant.

2. 2
   noun

   An area of knowledge studied at school or university.

   My favourite subject at school is history.

3. 3
   adj

   Likely to be affected by something.

   The plan is subject to approval by the manager.

4. 4
   noun

   The word or words in a sentence that do the action of the verb.

   In "The dog barked," the word "dog" is the subject.

5. 5
   verb

   To force someone or something to experience something unpleasant.

   The prisoners were subjected to cruel treatment.

Common collocations

• master a subject Verb + noun

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).

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