Citizen vs. subject

What does citizen mean?

Citizen is a noun which means a person who owes allegiance to a collective sovereign, such as a government.

For example:

• She is a citizen of the Galactic Republic.

What does subject mean?

Subject is a noun which means a person who owes allegiance to an individual sovereign, such as a monarch.

For example:

• She is a subject of the queen.

What’s the difference between citizen and subject?

A citizen owes their allegiance to a government or collective sovereign while a subject owes their allegiance to an individual sovereign, such as a queen or king.

For example:

• The subjects of the queen wished to be citizens of a republic.