SUBJECT MATTER Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

subject matter

noun

Definition of subject matter

as in topic

the information or ideas that are discussed or dealt with in a book, movie, etc.; what something is about I found the film's subject matter to be quite disturbing. The magazine's editors care more about style than about subject matter. She disapproves of the artist's choice of subject matter.

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of subject matter The filmmaker is no stranger to controversial subject matter, having made films about Enron, Vladimir Putin, and the Church of Scientology in the past. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2026 Conley, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, dismissed the case without prejudice for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and granted the defendants’ sanctions motions. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 4 Sep. 2026 The Cold War playbook The senior NASA official, however, argued that scholarships may not be sufficient, and a dedicated institution would showcase how vital subject matter expertise has become. — Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 The painting’s joyful casualness belies its subject matter, clues to which can be found in the coyote on one of the men’s shirts and in the work’s title, Uncle’s Crossing (2022). — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subject matter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subject matter

Noun

This space is divided into several thematic areas to highlight the role that the university, its faculty, its students, and other folks affiliated with it have played in a range of topics.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026
Know More Not all AI safety experts and advocates identify as effective altruists, and different groups working on the topic have disparate goals, funding, and membership.

— Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of topic

Noun

The group behind the plan, Michael Burke, Rachel Williams, Justin Younesi, and Michael Younesi, has a background in marketing and social media content.

— Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
His exhibition of some of its contents at Palo, in the East Village, keeps the focus of our attention on his black-and-white photographs, which hold it with a sense of ease that never undermines their moody soulfulness.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of content

Noun

The feeling of two characters perpetually fighting within her has long been a theme in her therapy sessions.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
No one here can escape the Monster signature, which is to make its themes obvious and its takeaways muddled; the whole thing is spectacle without reflection.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of theme

Noun

League sources in this story spoke on a condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the subject publicly.

— Law Murray, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Apple reportedly plans to pitch the iPhone Ultra as a device that's more beneficial for web browsing, framing subjects with a gigantic viewfinder, and most importantly, watching video.

— Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of subject

Noun

Venus Williams x Crate & Kids Collection From tennis-ball motifs to her favorite lavender-and-green color combo, Williams’ collection with Crate & Kids is both playful and can easily transition alongside kids and their ever-changing styles.

— Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2026
The obsessive neat freak beneath the easygoing surface of the virtue-signaling feminist ally might have made an amusing motif if it were ever referenced again.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of motif

Noun

For Frankfurt, as for Murdoch, the work of being human involves interrogating the motives and assumptions that guide our actions, asking whether our desires are truly desirable.

— Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
The victim’s name and details of a motive have not been released.

— Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of motive

Browse Nearby Words

subjectivity

subject matter

subject matters

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“Subject matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subject%20matter. Accessed 21 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of subject matter

noun

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