hidden subject

USAGE SUMMARY

"hidden subject" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use it to refer to the subject of a sentence that is not explicitly stated. For example: "The car needs to be washed." In this sentence, the hidden subject is "you" - it is implied that the person being addressed needs to wash the car.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Sarah Saffian claims that the representation of adoption on television is progressive in its broaching of a previously hidden subject ["When the Search for Birth Parents Is a Search for Self," March 12].

The New York Times - Arts

Sex was a big hidden subject.

The New York Times

The hidden subject of "The Italian Straw Hat" is how much the movies had changed in the three decades since then, changes Clair doesn't entirely approve of.

The New York Times

In 1966, on the occasion of a Louis Lumière retrospective, Jean-Luc Godard delivered a speech in praise of Henri Langlois, the founder of the Cinémathèque Française — a hidden subject of "Hugo" — and said, "People say: Lumière is documentary, and Mèliès, fantasy….

The New Yorker

Despite these findings, child maltreatment has remained a taboo and hidden subject in many Asian countries like China.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

A challenge here is that differences in the population genetic structure, attributable to confounding factors such as the ethnicity or ancestry of the subjects, may result in highly heterogeneous datasets with a number of hidden subject sub-groups, which may associate with divergent disease phenotypes and therefore cause an increased false-positive rates [ 50].

BioData Mining

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

After the food items were hidden, subjects could choose one of them either after 5 min or 1 h.

Animal Cognition

After the food was hidden, subjects were allowed to choose one of these items either after a 5-min or 1-h retention interval (RI).

Animal Cognition

This is so both for people whose impairments are immediately observable and to those whose impairments are hidden, but subject to exposure by a temporary change in appearance, e.g., a person with epilepsy who has a seizure in public (Schneider and Conrad 1985).

SEP

T0 scores were hidden from subjects when re-rating their ADLs at T1 and T2.

Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology

The jars are hidden and subjects are presented with a predetermined sequence of beads and asked when they are certain which jar the beads are being drawn from.

Current Opinion in Neurology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "hidden subject", ensure the context provides enough clues for the audience to infer the subject accurately. Overly obscuring the subject can lead to confusion.

Common error

Avoid using "hidden subject" as a crutch to mask responsibility or avoid directness. Sometimes, explicitly stating the subject improves clarity and accountability.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hidden subject" primarily functions as a noun phrase, often acting as a complement or appositive, modifying another noun. As indicated by Ludwig, it refers to a subject that is implied rather than explicitly stated.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "hidden subject" refers to an implied or unstated topic, primarily functioning as a noun phrase. As indicated by Ludwig, it is grammatically correct and usable, though its frequency is rare. The phrase appears in varied contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business settings. When using "hidden subject", it's important to ensure the context allows the audience to infer the subject accurately. Considering these insights, it's essential to use "hidden subject" judiciously to maintain clarity and impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unstated topic

Focuses on the lack of explicit statement of the topic.

covert theme

Highlights the concealed nature of the theme.

implicit theme

Emphasizes the implied nature of the theme.

underlying subject

Suggests a subject beneath the surface.

tacit topic

Implies a topic understood without being expressed.

unspoken subject

Emphasizes the subject's lack of verbalization.

veiled subject

Highlights the obscured or disguised nature of the subject.

latent topic

Suggests a topic that is present but not yet active or developed.

subtext

Refers to the implicit meaning or theme that is not explicitly addressed.

unacknowledged theme

Focuses on the lack of recognition of the theme.

FAQs

How can I effectively use "hidden subject" in my writing?

Use "hidden subject" when you want to imply a topic without explicitly stating it, relying on context and reader inference. It's effective when the unstated subject is subtly present but not the primary focus.

What are some alternatives to using "hidden subject"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "unstated topic", "covert theme", or "implicit theme".

Is it always appropriate to use a "hidden subject" in a sentence?

No, using a "hidden subject" can sometimes lead to ambiguity. It's important to ensure that the context provides sufficient clues for the reader to understand the implied subject. Clarity should always be prioritized.

What's the difference between a "hidden subject" and an "underlying theme"?

While both relate to implicit meanings, a "hidden subject" refers to an unstated actor or topic in a specific sentence or situation, whereas an "underlying theme" is a more general, overarching idea or message that is not explicitly stated but can be inferred from the text or situation.