idea vs subject

idea

noun
  • A musical theme or melodic subject. 

  • An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essence, as opposed to actual examples. 

  • A conception in the mind of something to be done; a plan for doing something, an intention. 

  • A purposeful aim or goal; intent 

  • More generally, any result of mental activity; a thought, a notion; a way of thinking. 

  • An image of an object that is formed in the mind or recalled by the memory. 

  • A vague or fanciful notion; a feeling or hunch; an impression. 

subject

noun
  • The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue. 

  • A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity. 

  • The variable in terms of which an expression is defined. 

  • The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc. 

  • A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority. 

  • A particular area of study. 

  • A citizen in a monarchy. 

  • 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. 

  • That of which something is stated. 

  • An actor; one who takes action. 

  • A human, animal or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc. 

verb
  • To make subordinate or subservient; to subdue or enslave. 

  • To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted. 

adj
  • Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation. 

  • Conditional upon something; used with to. 

  • Likely to be affected by or to experience something. 

  • Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state. 

How often have the words idea and subject occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )