suddito

subject

noun SOOD-dee-toh Rare

Origin: Latin subditus, 'placed under'

Also means

vassal

Usage Note

Suddito refers to a subject of a monarch or sovereign state — a person under the authority of a ruler. It is a formal, historical or political term; in modern Italian it can be used figuratively to imply servile obedience (trattare qualcuno come un suddito, 'to treat someone like a subject'). The feminine form is suddita. It should not be confused with cittadino (citizen), which implies rights as well as duties.

Examples

"I sudditi dovevano obbedienza al re."

Natural Translation

The subjects owed obedience to the king.

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