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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Example Sentences

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 production faced its own real-life protests after locals caught wind of the film’s subject matter, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The lengthy process ensures that the team must avoid timely subject matter. — Marlow Stern, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026 His output more closely resembles that of an old studio film director’s than of a typical contemporary literary novelist, with certain themes and preoccupations reappearing across books of otherwise disparate subject matter. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026 The film stays true to its black-comedy genre, given the heavy subject matter, and explores the performative nature of internet culture and male loneliness. — Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subject matter

Recent Examples of Synonyms for subject matter

Noun

The conversations remained cordial, despite vehement disagreements at times, with Talarico and the voters engaging in polite small talk before delving into, at times, heavy topics.

— Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Caporael, who had explored the topic through the lens of the scientific method, wasn’t claiming to know what had happened at Salem.

— Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of topic

Noun

In an indirect prompt injection, an attacker hides instructions in content an AI agent will come across while doing a task—a web page or a forum post, for instance—hoping to hijack the agent.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
But there was no sense that publishers and booksellers saw the dust jacket as an opportunity to promote the content or author.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of content

Noun

For the third straight year, BNY found that AI ranked as the most compelling investment theme for the next five years, cited by 68% of respondents.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Affordability is a major theme of the upcoming midterm elections — one that could have implications for how people vote in November.

— Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of theme

Noun

The subject is of particular interest at CBS News, where Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss has repeatedly encouraged the network’s journalists to dedicate serious resources to finding a potential link.

— semafor.com, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Zacharia took questions from three conservative outlets at the press conference, including a question on one of the biggest subjects in the news.

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of subject

Noun

Each section of the crest pays tribute to the club, the city of Barcelona and the region of Catalonia, through motifs that include the Saint George’s Cross, the Senyera (the Catalan flag) and a vintage-style soccer ball.

— Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
The same questions and ideas and motifs haunt you for the rest of your life.

— Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of motif

Noun

Officials, developers and their architects and engineers have either declined to comment or questioned the researchers’ motives while assuring the public that the buildings are safe.

— Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Police have not verified either claim, and no motive has been established.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of motive

Noun

Combined with its co-founders' pledge to donate 80% of their equity and an employee donation matching program, roughly 20% of Anthropic's shares will be dedicated to public purposes, excluding any additional shares added later.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026
Future deployments Placing the geothermal plant on top of a natural hydrothermal vent was a one-time test for purely research and demonstration purposes, Redd said.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

The choice of materials, their adhesion and the design of the part all matter.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
When the plant roots encounter an area acidified by decaying plant matter—a chemical gradient distinct from that of animal matter—ABA builds up on the side facing the rot, encouraging growth in the other direction.

— Joanna Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of matter

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 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of subject matter

noun

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