subject matter

noun

Synonyms of subject matternext
: matter presented for consideration in discussion, thought, or study

Examples of subject matter in a Sentence

I found the film's subject matter to be quite disturbing. She disapproves of the artist's choice of subject matter.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The company is planning to launch a handful of new shows over the next few months, with a longer-term goal of having 12-16 channels led by creators who are subject matter experts. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 25 Oct. 2026 Despite the subject matter, Waititi and Ortega said the film is not a commentary on artificial intelligence. — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson said the timing and subject matter suggest the mailing could be intended to draw attention to an issue already at the center of political debate. — Brian New, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Though Gibson’s early subject matter often centered around birds, his work in later years shifted focus to mythology, which became more prominent in the following decade. — The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subject matter

Word History

First Known Use

1657, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subject matter was in 1657

Rhymes for subject matter

See All Rhymes for subject matter

Browse Nearby Words

subjectless
subject matter
subject-object
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subject matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subject%20matter. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

subject matter

noun
: matter presented for consideration in discussion, thought, or study
the poem's subject matter

More from Merriam-Webster on subject matter

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for subject matter

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about subject matter

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All