Matter vs. Subject — What's the Difference?

The substance or substances of which any physical object consists or is composed.

A branch of knowledge studied or taught.

A term in physics referring to that which has mass and occupies space.

The topic or theme of a discussion, book, film, etc.

Anything that occupies space and has mass.

In grammar, the part of a sentence or clause that nominally is doing or being what the predicate expresses.

The material of the universe, especially as distinct from energy.

The person or thing that is being discussed or described.

Physical or corporeal substance in general, whether solid, liquid, or gas.

Something dealt with in a text, discourse, or conversation.

In classical physics and general chemistry, matter is any substance that has mass and takes up space by having volume. All everyday objects that can be touched are ultimately composed of atoms, which are made up of interacting subatomic particles, and in everyday as well as scientific usage, "matter" generally includes atoms and anything made up of them, and any particles (or combination of particles) that act as if they have both rest mass and volume.

A person or thing that is being discussed, described, or dealt with

Physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit; (in physics) that which occupies space and possesses rest mass, especially as distinct from energy

A branch of knowledge studied or taught in a school, college, or university

A subject or situation under consideration

A member of a state other than its ruler, especially one owing allegiance to a monarch or other supreme ruler

The reason for distress or a problem

A noun or noun phrase functioning as one of the main components of a clause, being the element about which the rest of the clause is predicated.

The substance or content of a text as distinct from its style or form.

A thinking or feeling entity; the conscious mind; the ego, especially as opposed to anything external to the mind.

Be important or significant

Likely or prone to be affected by (a particular condition or occurrence, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one)

(of a wound) secrete or discharge pus.

Dependent or conditional upon

That which occupies space and has mass; physical substance.

Under the authority of

A type of such substance

Conditionally upon

Discharge or waste, such as pus or feces, from a living organism.

Cause or force someone or something to undergo (a particular experience or form of treatment, typically an unwelcome or unpleasant one)

(Philosophy) In Aristotelian and Scholastic use, that which is in itself undifferentiated and formless and which, as the subject of change and development, receives form and becomes substance.

Bring (a person or country) under one's control or jurisdiction, typically by using force

The substance of thought or expression as opposed to the manner in which it is stated or conveyed.

Being in a position or in circumstances that place one under the power or authority of another or others

A subject of concern, feeling, or action

Prone; disposed

Trouble or difficulty

Likely to incur or receive; exposed

An approximated quantity, amount, or extent

Contingent or dependent

Something printed or otherwise set down in writing

One who is under the rule of another or others, especially one who owes allegiance to a government or ruler.

To be of importance

One concerning which something is said or done; a person or thing being discussed or dealt with

(uncountable) Material; substance.

Something that is treated or indicated in a work of art.

(physics) The basic structural component of the universe, usually having mass and volume.

(Music) A theme of a composition, especially a fugue.

(physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.

A course or area of study

A kind of substance.

A basis for action; a cause.

Material, especially in books or magazines.

One that experiences or is subjected to something

(philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.

A person or animal that is the object of medical or scientific study

An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.

A corpse intended for anatomical study and dissection.

An approximate amount or extent.

One who is under surveillance

(obsolete) essence; pith; embodiment.

(Grammar) The noun, noun phrase, or pronoun in a sentence or clause that denotes the doer of the action or what is described by the predicate.

(obsolete) (The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.

(Logic) The term of a proposition about which something is affirmed or denied.

To be important.

The mind or thinking part as distinguished from the object of thought.

To care about, to mind; to find important.

A being that undergoes personal conscious or unconscious experience of itself and of the world.

To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.

The essential nature or substance of something as distinguished from its attributes.

That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment.

To cause to experience, undergo, or be acted upon

That of which the sensible universe and all existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body; substance.

To subjugate; subdue.

That with regard to, or about which, anything takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling, complaint, legal action, or the like; theme.

To submit to the authority of

That which one has to treat, or with which one has to do; concern; affair; business.

Likely to be affected by or to experience something.

Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance; significance; moment; - chiefly in the phrases what matter? no matter, and the like.

Conditional upon something; used with to.

Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble.

Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.

Amount; quantity; portion; space; - often indefinite.

Placed under the power of another; owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state.

Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent substance.

(grammar) In a clause: the word or word group (usually a noun phrase) about whom the statement is made. In active clauses with verbs denoting an action, the subject and the actor are usually the same.

That which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; - opposed to form.

An actor; one who takes action.

Written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in printing.

The main topic of a paper, work of art, discussion, field of study, etc.

To be of importance; to import; to signify.

A particular area of study.

To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.

A citizen in a monarchy.

To regard as important; to take account of; to care for.

A person ruled over by another, especially a monarch or state authority.

That which has mass and occupies space;

(music) The main theme or melody, especially in a fugue.

A vaguely specified concern;

A human, animal or an inanimate object that is being examined, treated, analysed, etc.

Some situation or event that is thought about;

(philosophy) A being that has subjective experiences, subjective consciousness, or a relationship with another entity.

A problem;

(logic) That of which something is stated.

(used with negation) having consequence;

(math) The variable in terms of which an expression is defined.

Written works (especially in books or magazines);

To cause (someone or something) to undergo a particular experience, especially one that is unpleasant or unwanted.

Have weight; have import, carry weight;

(transitive) To make subordinate or subservient; to subdue or enslave.

Placed or situated under; lying below, or in a lower situation.

Placed under the power of another; specifically (International Law), owing allegiance to a particular sovereign or state; as, Jamaica is subject to Great Britain.

Exposed; liable; prone; disposed; as, a country subject to extreme heat; men subject to temptation.

Obedient; submissive.

That which is placed under the authority, dominion, control, or influence of something else.

Specifically: One who is under the authority of a ruler and is governed by his laws; one who owes allegiance to a sovereign or a sovereign state; as, a subject of Queen Victoria; a British subject; a subject of the United States.

That which is subjected, or submitted to, any physical operation or process; specifically (Anat.), a dead body used for the purpose of dissection.

That which is brought under thought or examination; that which is taken up for discussion, or concerning which anything is said or done.

The person who is treated of; the hero of a piece; the chief character.

That of which anything is affirmed or predicated; the theme of a proposition or discourse; that which is spoken of; as, the nominative case is the subject of the verb.

That in which any quality, attribute, or relation, whether spiritual or material, inheres, or to which any of these appertain; substance; substratum.

The principal theme, or leading thought or phrase, on which a composition or a movement is based.

The incident, scene, figure, group, etc., which it is the aim of the artist to represent.

To bring under control, power, or dominion; to make subject; to subordinate; to subdue.

To expose; to make obnoxious or liable; as, credulity subjects a person to impositions.

To submit; to make accountable.

To make subservient.

To cause to undergo; as, to subject a substance to a white heat; to subject a person to a rigid test.

The subject matter of a conversation or discussion;

Some situation or event that is thought about;

A branch of knowledge;

Something (a person or object or scene) selected by an artist or photographer for graphic representation;

A person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation;

A person who owes allegiance to that nation;

(grammar) one of the two main constituents of a sentence; the grammatical constituent about which something is predicated

(logic) the first term of a proposition

Cause to experience or suffer or make liable or vulnerable to;

Make accountable for;

Make subservient; force to submit or subdue

Refer for judgment or consideration;

Not exempt from tax;

Possibly accepting or permitting;

Being under the power or sovereignty of another or others;

The subject is the main topic or theme around which a discussion, study, or work is centered.

While subjects are often abstract themes or topics, they can relate to tangible objects or phenomena when discussed or analyzed.

Yes, all physical substances that have mass and take up space are considered matter, including solids, liquids, gases, and plasma.

Matter is defined as anything that occupies space and has mass.

The concept of subject varies widely depending on the context, including academic disciplines, literature, art, and everyday conversation.

The four fundamental states of matter are solid, liquid, gas, and plasma.

Yes, many subjects are interrelated, allowing for interdisciplinary study and application.

Subjects evolve as new discoveries are made, perspectives change, and societal needs shift.

Studying matter is crucial for understanding the physical world, enabling technological advancements and scientific discoveries.

Matter is studied through physical sciences like physics and chemistry, focusing on its properties and behaviors.

Subjects structure educational curricula, guiding learning and knowledge acquisition in specific areas.

Yes, as scientific research advances, our understanding of matter and its properties can evolve.

Matter constitutes the physical substance of the universe, essential for the formation of stars, planets, and life.

A subject is chosen based on interest, relevance, purpose, or academic requirements.

While the choice of subject can be influenced by personal interests or perspectives, subjects themselves can range from highly objective to interpretive and subjective.