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
The new Matlock was created by Jane the Virgin alum Jennie Snyder Urman, whose project captures the essence of Griffith's Matlock while giving it a freshness in tone and subject matter.
—
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
For Dickinson, the greater challenge lay in finding the right tone to strike around the film’s sensitive subject matter of homelessness and mental health.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
Duties include building relationships with national and local broker partners, in addition to being a subject matter expert on technology solutions.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Though the subject matter of the show is serious, the women share plenty of laughs when the cameras aren’t rolling.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subject matter
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
For Dickinson, the greater challenge lay in finding the right tone to strike around the film’s sensitive subject matter of homelessness and mental health.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
Duties include building relationships with national and local broker partners, in addition to being a subject matter expert on technology solutions.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
Though the subject matter of the show is serious, the women share plenty of laughs when the cameras aren’t rolling.
—Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subject matter
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subject matter
Noun
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Back in August, OpenAI published an update to ChatGPT with stronger controls on the bot’s responses to certain conversational topics amid mounting concern that some users are building harmful emotional attachments to chatbots.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
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Return expectations are a hot topic for shoppers.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Then-Media School Dean James Shanahan rebutted the assertion, saying the school had never sought to influence the paper's content.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
14 Oct. 2025
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Julia Marcum is the founder of Chris Loves Julia, a home renovation content creation and inspiration brand.—
Patricia Shannon,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The bedtime stories explore themes like bravery, acceptance and self-love, and are printed in both braille and text.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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Eddington contains a number of images, story points and themes that struck a chord at the time of its theatrical release in July 2025, but a number of them have proven to be quite prophetic of more recent events within America’s fraught political landscape.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Although Renoir’s landscapes and portraits — of the French countryside and high society — are legendary worldwide, his drawings of these subjects are not well-known, particularly to the public.—
Jane Levere,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
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The lens covers a similar angle of view to a full-frame system with a 100-400mm zoom, a range that's ideal for photographing wildlife, field sports, and other far-off subjects.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Scattered across the upper are enamel pins that flip Chanel’s smiley-face and yin-yang motifs through Vans’ own lens, while leather accents and metal hardware elevate the finish.—
Christopher Claxton,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
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Clients can also tell a personal story through custom marquetry and inlaid veneers, incorporating a family crest or a signature motif.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Police have not released further information about the events that led up to the shooting or a potential motive.—
Andrea Klick,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
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The local police started searching for the girl’s parents – and a motive.—
Aishwarya S. Iyer,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And a lot of the pseudepigrapha, like the fake gospels and fake apocalypses, fill in gaps in the record that can serve latter-day, post-biblical purposes.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
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This particular challenge serves many purposes.—
Joe Boylan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But on Wednesday, Roberts said, Scott's injury became an 'urgent matter,' necessitating the procedure, which has a recovery timetable of 1-2 weeks.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
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Working with Sam [Esmail] and working with Rami [Malek] — the relationships are what matter.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subject matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subject%20matter. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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