subject matter

American  

noun

1. the substance of a discussion, book, writing, etc., as distinguished from its form or style.

2. the matter that is subject to some action.

3. the matter out of which a thing is formed.

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subject matter British  

noun

1. the substance or main theme of a book, discussion, debate, etc

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Etymology

Origin of subject matter

First recorded in 1590–1600

Example Sentences

It seems at first too clever for the grim subject matter, riffing on wordplay around “jeans” and “genes,” like the controversial American Eagle advertisements starring Sydney Sweeney from the past year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Led by the subject matter, he started singing more, his dewy-eyed timbre adding emotional depth to the fragmented, impressionistic soundscapes.

From BBC

The issue isn’t clear-cut cases of misinformation or harmful subject matter going unflagged in the absence of content moderation.

From Salon

And their wall texts lay claim to subject matter they don’t discernibly deliver.

From The Wall Street Journal

Our critic noted that the playwright “has a gift for blending dark subject matter with offbeat comedy.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• subject
• text
• topic