Citizen vs. Subject — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 11, 2024
Citizens possess rights and responsibilities within a state, while subjects are under the authority of a monarch without guaranteed rights.
Difference Between Citizen and Subject
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Citizens are members of a state or nation and have specific rights and duties as defined by its constitution or laws. They participate in the political process, such as voting and holding public office, and enjoy protections and privileges like freedom of speech and the right to a fair trial. Subjects, traditionally, are individuals who live under the rule of a monarch or sovereign without the same level of rights or political agency as citizens.
Citizenship implies a two-way relationship with the state, involving both entitlements and contributions, like paying taxes and serving on juries. The term "subject" often connotes a more passive role within the governance structure, where loyalty and obedience to the ruler are emphasized over individual freedoms and participation in governance. In many historical and some current contexts, subjects may have limited rights and little say in how they are governed.
The concept of citizenship is associated with a sense of belonging and active participation in the governance of the state. Citizens can influence their government's decisions through democratic processes, reflecting a modern governance model that values individual rights and collective decision-making. Conversely, the term "subject" is often linked to older or more traditional forms of governance, such as monarchies, where power is centralized in the hands of a sovereign. In such systems, the individual's relationship with the state is more about allegiance to the ruler than about mutual rights and responsibilities.
The notion of citizenship emphasizes equality before the law and the importance of civic engagement in shaping public policy. While modern constitutional monarchies may grant significant rights to their subjects, transforming them into citizens in all but name, the term "subject" still carries historical connotations of lesser autonomy.
The legal and social status of citizens and subjects also differs in terms of protection and obligations. Citizens typically have a well-defined legal framework that protects their rights and outlines their duties. This legal status fosters a more participatory role in society and governance. Subjects, historically, might have had protections and obligations too, but these were often granted or rescinded at the discretion of the sovereign, leading to a more uncertain and less empowered position within the state.
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Comparison Chart
Rights
Defined rights and freedoms
Limited or no guaranteed rights
Participation
Active in governance (voting, office)
Passive, with loyalty to a ruler emphasized
Relationship
Two-way with state (rights and duties)
Allegiance to sovereign
Governance Model
Democratic, participatory
Monarchical, centralized
Legal Status
Protected by constitution/laws
Dependent on sovereign's discretion
Compare with Definitions
Citizen
Has obligations like paying taxes and serving on juries.
A citizen fulfills civic duty by serving on a jury.
Subject
Loyalty to the ruler is emphasized over participation.
Subjects pledge allegiance to the monarch during a ceremony.
Citizen
Enjoys freedoms such as speech and assembly.
Citizens organize a rally to advocate for policy changes.
Subject
Relationship with the state is based on allegiance.
A subject's land and status are granted by the monarch's favor.
Citizen
Can participate in governance, holding public office.
A citizen runs for local office to contribute to community development.
Subject
Historically, had lesser say in governance.
Subjects could not vote or influence the monarch's decisions.
Citizen
Protected by the state's constitution and laws.
A citizen exercises the right to a fair trial as guaranteed by law.
Subject
Under the authority of a monarch, with limited autonomy.
A subject pays tribute to the monarch as part of traditional loyalty.
Citizen
A person with rights and duties under a state's laws.
A citizen votes in elections to influence government policy.
Subject
Rights and protections are not guaranteed.
A subject's freedom of speech may be limited under the monarchy.
Citizen
A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized
A British citizen
Subject
A 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
Citizen
A person owing loyalty to and entitled by birth or naturalization to the protection of a state or nation.
Subject
A 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
Citizen
A resident of a city or town, especially one entitled to vote and enjoy other privileges there.
Subject
A branch of knowledge studied or taught in a school, college, or university
Maths is not my best subject
Citizen
A civilian.
Subject
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.
Citizen
A native, inhabitant, or denizen of a particular place
Citizens of rural Utah.
Subject
A thinking or feeling entity; the conscious mind; the ego, especially as opposed to anything external to the mind.
Citizen
A resident of a city or town, especially one with legally-recognized rights or duties.
Subject
Likely 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
Citizen
A legally-recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role.
I am a Roman citizen.
Subject
Dependent or conditional upon
The proposed merger is subject to the approval of the shareholders
Citizen
An inhabitant or occupant: a member of any place.
Diogenes reckoned himself a citizen of the world.
Subject
Under the authority of
Ministers are subject to the laws of the land
Citizen
(Christianity) A resident of the heavenly city or later of the kingdom of God: a Christian; a good Christian.
Subject
Conditionally upon
Subject to the EC's agreement, we intend to set up an enterprise zone in the area
Citizen
A civilian, as opposed to a police officer, soldier, or member of some other specialized (usually state) group.
Subject
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
Citizen
(obsolete) An ordinary person, as opposed to nobles and landed gentry on one side and peasants, craftsmen, and laborers on the other.
Subject
Bring (a person or country) under one's control or jurisdiction, typically by using force
The city had been subjected to Macedonian rule
Citizen
A term of address among French citizens during the French Revolution or towards its supporters elsewhere; dated a term of address among socialists and communists.
Subject
Being in a position or in circumstances that place one under the power or authority of another or others
Subject to the law.
Citizen
(computing) An object.
Subject
Prone; disposed
A child who is subject to colds.
Citizen
One who enjoys the freedom and privileges of a city; a freeman of a city, as distinguished from a foreigner, or one not entitled to its franchises.
That large body of the working men who were not counted as citizens and had not so much as a vote to serve as an anodyne to their stomachs.
Subject
Likely to incur or receive; exposed
A directive subject to misinterpretation.
Citizen
An inhabitant of a city; a townsman.
Subject
Contingent or dependent
A vacation subject to changing weather.
Citizen
One who is domiciled in a country, and who is a citizen, though neither native nor naturalized, in such a sense that he takes his legal status from such country.
Subject
One who is under the rule of another or others, especially one who owes allegiance to a government or ruler.
Citizen
Having the condition or qualities of a citizen, or of citizens; as, a citizen soldiery.
Subject
One concerning which something is said or done; a person or thing being discussed or dealt with
A subject of gossip.
Citizen
Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a city; characteristic of citizens; effeminate; luxurious.
I am not well,But not so citizen a wanton asTo seem to die ere sick.
Subject
Something that is treated or indicated in a work of art.
Citizen
A native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
Subject
(Music) A theme of a composition, especially a fugue.
Subject
A course or area of study
Math is her best subject.
Subject
A basis for action; a cause.
Subject
One that experiences or is subjected to something
The subject of ridicule.
Subject
A person or animal that is the object of medical or scientific study
The experiment involved 12 subjects.
Subject
A corpse intended for anatomical study and dissection.
Subject
One who is under surveillance
The subject was observed leaving the scene of the murder.
Subject
(Grammar) The noun, noun phrase, or pronoun in a sentence or clause that denotes the doer of the action or what is described by the predicate.
Subject
(Logic) The term of a proposition about which something is affirmed or denied.
Subject
The mind or thinking part as distinguished from the object of thought.
Subject
A being that undergoes personal conscious or unconscious experience of itself and of the world.
Subject
The essential nature or substance of something as distinguished from its attributes.
Subject
To cause to experience, undergo, or be acted upon
Suspects subjected to interrogation.
Rocks subjected to intense pressure.
Subject
To subjugate; subdue.
Subject
To submit to the authority of
Peoples that subjected themselves to the emperor.
Subject
Likely to be affected by or to experience something.
A country subject to extreme heat
Menu listings and prices are subject to change.
He's subject to sneezing fits.
Subject
Conditional upon something; used with to.
The local board sets local policy, subject to approval from the State Board.
Subject
Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
Subject
Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.
Subject
(grammar) In a clause: the word or word group (usually a noun phrase) about whom the statement is made. In active clauses with verbs denoting an action, the subject and the actor are usually the same.
In the sentence ‘The cat ate the mouse’, ‘the cat’ is the subject, ‘the mouse’ being the object.
Subject
An actor; one who takes action.
The subjects and objects of power.
Subject
The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.
Subject
A particular area of study.
Her favorite subject is physics.
Subject
A citizen in a monarchy.
I am a British subject.
Subject
A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority.
Subject
(music) The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.
Subject
A human, animal or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc.
Subject
(philosophy) A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.
Subject
(logic) That of which something is stated.
Subject
(math) The variable in terms of which an expression is defined.
0, we have x
Subject
To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted.
I came here to buy souvenirs, not to be subjected to a tirade of abuse!
Subject
(transitive) To make subordinate or subservient; to subdue or enslave.
Subject
Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.
Subject
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.
Subject
Exposed; liable; prone; disposed; as, a country subject to extreme heat; men subject to temptation.
All human things are subject to decay.
Subject
Obedient; submissive.
Put them in mind to be subject to principalities.
Subject
That which is placed under the authority, dominion, control, or influence of something else.
Subject
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.
The subject must obey his prince, because God commands it, human laws require it.
Subject
That which is subjected, or submitted to, any physical operation or process; specifically (Anat.), a dead body used for the purpose of dissection.
Subject
That which is brought under thought or examination; that which is taken up for discussion, or concerning which anything is said or done.
Make choice of a subject, beautiful and noble, which . . . shall afford an ample field of matter wherein to expatiate.
The unhappy subject of these quarrels.
Subject
The person who is treated of; the hero of a piece; the chief character.
Writers of particular lives . . . are apt to be prejudiced in favor of their subject.
Subject
That of which anything is affirmed or predicated; the theme of a proposition or discourse; that which is spoken of; as, the nominative case is the subject of the verb.
The subject of a proposition is that concerning which anything is affirmed or denied.
Subject
That in which any quality, attribute, or relation, whether spiritual or material, inheres, or to which any of these appertain; substance; substratum.
That which manifests its qualities - in other words, that in which the appearing causes inhere, that to which they belong - is called their subject or substance, or substratum.
Subject
The principal theme, or leading thought or phrase, on which a composition or a movement is based.
The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song.
Subject
The incident, scene, figure, group, etc., which it is the aim of the artist to represent.
Subject
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.
In one short view subjected to our eye,Gods, emperors, heroes, sages, beauties, lie.
He is the most subjected, the most nslaved, who is so in his understanding.
Subject
To expose; to make obnoxious or liable; as, credulity subjects a person to impositions.
Subject
To submit; to make accountable.
God is not bound to subject his ways of operation to the scrutiny of our thoughts.
Subject
To make subservient.
Subjected to his service angel wings.
Subject
To cause to undergo; as, to subject a substance to a white heat; to subject a person to a rigid test.
Subject
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
Subject
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
Subject
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
Subject
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
Subject
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
Subject
A person who owes allegiance to that nation;
A monarch has a duty to his subjects
Subject
(grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated
Subject
(logic) the first term of a proposition
Subject
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
Subject
Make accountable for;
He did not want to subject himself to the judgments of his superiors
Subject
Make subservient; force to submit or subdue
Subject
Refer for judgment or consideration;
She submitted a proposal to the agency
Subject
Not exempt from tax;
The gift will be subject to taxation
Subject
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
Subject
Being under the power or sovereignty of another or others;
Subject peoples
A dependent prince
Common Curiosities
Are subjects' rights protected by law?
Subjects' rights can be more dependent on the sovereign's discretion and might not be as firmly protected as citizens' rights.
Can a subject become a citizen?
Yes, in historical contexts, subjects have become citizens as governance systems evolved towards more democratic models.
Can subjects vote in elections?
In traditional monarchies where subjects are prevalent, their ability to vote or participate in governance may be limited.
What defines a citizen?
A citizen is defined by their rights and duties within a state, including participation in governance and protection under the law.
How do historical contexts influence the transition from subject to citizen?
Historical shifts towards democracy and republicanism have facilitated the transition from subjects to citizens, expanding individual rights and participation in governance.
How do subjects differ from citizens?
Subjects are under the authority of a monarch with limited rights and participation in government, unlike citizens.
Do citizens have obligations?
Yes, citizens have obligations such as paying taxes, obeying laws, and sometimes serving on juries or in the military.
What legal protections do citizens have?
Citizens are protected by laws and constitutions that safeguard their rights and offer legal recourse.
How do citizens participate in their government?
Citizens participate through voting, standing for public office, and engaging in public discourse.
What is the role of a constitution in defining citizenship?
A constitution often outlines the rights, duties, and legal status of citizens, providing a framework for their relationship with the state.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
