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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Recent Examples of subject matter
In Anderson’s recent output, there’s a tension between his style growing more ornate and self-contained even as his subject matter feels increasingly ripped from the headlines, as Bilge Ebiri wrote in his recent profile of the filmmaker.
—
Chris Stanton, Vulture, 13 June 2025
No expert is brought on board without demonstrating professionalism, fairness, and subject matter mastery.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 11 June 2025
Their music tackled a range of subject matter; from free-spirited dance tracks to songs confronting discrimination and political unrest.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 9 June 2025
Recently, our team launched a new certificate in AI Prompting, developed in partnership with subject matter experts, learning designers and employer advisors.
—Sara Leoni, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for subject matter
Chris Stanton, Vulture, 13 June 2025
No expert is brought on board without demonstrating professionalism, fairness, and subject matter mastery.
—Nia Bowers, USA Today, 11 June 2025
Their music tackled a range of subject matter; from free-spirited dance tracks to songs confronting discrimination and political unrest.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 9 June 2025
Recently, our team launched a new certificate in AI Prompting, developed in partnership with subject matter experts, learning designers and employer advisors.
—Sara Leoni, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for subject matter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subject matter
Noun
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Throughout the hearing, Kobach advocated against the merits of climate public nuisance suits, using previous dismissals as evidence of the lack of feasibility of such claims, a topic which Sen. Cruz also discussed during his questioning.—
David Blackmon,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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Rice has been a hot-button topic in Japan, with surging prices and shortages leading to empty shelves in supermarkets across the country.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Previously, Lucia was the director of digital content at FOX61 News in Connecticut and has previously written for outlets including FoxNews.com, Fox News Latino and the Rutland Herald.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
29 June 2025
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The creation of this content included the use of AI based on templates created, reviewed and edited by journalists in the newsroom.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
29 June 2025
Noun
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Newcastle has rightly earned great credit for its success rate, but the common theme is all of those players have arrived with risk, liked by bigger clubs but crucially not enough to be poached by one of them.—
Harry De Cosemo,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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While the general theme of European clubs hoovering up much of the bounty is true, there is a caveat to the order of things.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
Noun
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More recently, in 2023, the release of The Little Mermaid featuring Halle Bailey, a Black woman, as Ariel was also the subject of review bombing, leading IMDb to filter out non-genuine reviews and issue a formal statement on the matter.—
Braedon Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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Making her directorial debut, Stern deftly draws out her subject.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The silk suit with a jacquard motif of a siren, paying tribute to the Greek mythological Parthenope, proved the sartorial expertise of the brand.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
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If you’re all flowered out, try ocean motifs instead—think seashells, starfish, or your favorite aquatic animal.—
Catie Pusateri,
Glamour,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
Barbara Slavin perceives a motive in Khamenei's actions after the U.S. attack: Ordering only a symbolic response, then approving a ceasefire with Israel.—
Steve Inskeep,
NPR,
25 June 2025
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What to do instead: Instead of dissecting their motives or childhood wounds, shift your attention to the actual impact their actions had on you, Brown says.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
24 June 2025
Noun
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And the brands who roll with precision, purpose and personality will define the future of the category.—
Javier Hasse,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
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The purpose of the grants is to address the climate crisis and various environmental harms at the local level.—
Tracy J. Wholf
June 26,
CBS News,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Given the nation's alarming security threat, the FBI is planning to reallocate potentially thousands of FBI agents away from immigration enforcement work to focus on cyber threats and counterterrorism efforts, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News on Tuesday.—
Bill Hutchinson,
ABC News,
25 June 2025
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The two appointments were on the City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting agenda last week, but aldermen did not discuss the matter publicly at that time, according to past reporting.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subject matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subject%20matter. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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