Formal or literary term for a person under the rule of a monarch or state, especially in historical contexts. In modern usage, 国民 is more common for 'citizen'.
Under the Meiji Constitution, the people were considered subjects of the Emperor.
He served the country as a loyal subject.
imperial subject
Compound of 臣 (retainer, subject) and 民 (people). The term reflects a pre-modern concept of people as subjects of a ruler.