Matter vs. Subject

Matternoun

Substance, material.

Subjectadjective

Likely to be affected by or to experience something.

‘a country subject to extreme heat’; ‘Menu listings and prices are subject to change.’; ‘He's subject to sneezing fits.’;

Matternoun

(physics) The basic structural component of the universe. Matter usually has mass and volume.

Subjectadjective

Conditional upon.

‘The local board sets local policy, subject to approval from the State Board.’;

Matternoun

(physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles. (Non-antimatter matter).

Subjectadjective

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

Matternoun

A kind of substance.

‘vegetable matter’;

Subjectadjective

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

Matternoun

Written material (especially in books or magazines).

‘printed matter;’; ‘He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘In the sentence ‘The mouse is eaten by the cat in the kitchen.’, ‘The mouse’ is the subject, ‘the cat’ being the agent.’;

Matternoun

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

Subjectnoun

An actor; one who takes action.

‘The subjects and objects of power.’;

Matternoun

A condition, subject or affair, especially one of concern.

‘What's the matter?;’; ‘state matters’;

Subjectnoun

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

Matternoun

An approximate amount or extent.

‘I stayed for a matter of months.’;

Subjectnoun

A particular area of study.

‘Her favorite subject is physics.’;

Matternoun

(obsolete) The essence; the pith; the embodiment.

Subjectnoun

A citizen in a monarchy.

‘I am a British subject.’;

Matternoun

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

Subjectnoun

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

Matternoun

(dated) Pus.

Subjectnoun

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

Matterverb

(intransitive) To be important.

‘The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.’; ‘Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter.’;

Subjectnoun

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

Matterverb

To care about, to mind; to find important.

Subjectnoun

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

Matterverb

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

Subjectnoun

(logic) That of which something is stated.

Matternoun

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.

‘He is the matter of virtue.’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘0, we have x’;

Matternoun

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.

Subjectverb

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

Matternoun

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.

‘Son of God, Savior of men! Thy nameShall be the copious matter of my song.’; ‘Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge.’;

Subjectadjective

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

Matternoun

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

‘To help the matter, the alchemists call in many vanities out of astrology.’; ‘Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice.’;

Subjectadjective

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

‘Esau was never subject to Jacob.’;

Matternoun

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

‘A prophet some, and some a poet, cry;No matter which, so neither of them lie.’;

Subjectadjective

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

‘All human things are subject to decay.’;

Matternoun

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

‘And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife.’;

Subjectadjective

Obedient; submissive.

‘Put them in mind to be subject to principalities.’;

Matternoun

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

‘Away he goes, . . . a matter of seven miles.’; ‘I have thoughts to tarry a small matter.’; ‘No small matter of British forces were commanded over sea the year before.’;

Subjectnoun

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

Matternoun

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

Subjectnoun

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.

‘Was never subject longed to be a king,As I do long and wish to be a subject.’; ‘The subject must obey his prince, because God commands it, human laws require it.’;

Matternoun

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.

Subjectnoun

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

Matternoun

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.

‘Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon the whole matter, equal in foot.’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘Make choice of a subject, beautiful and noble, which . . . shall afford an ample field of matter wherein to expatiate.’; ‘The unhappy subject of these quarrels.’;

Matterverb

To be of importance; to import; to signify.

‘It matters not how they were called.’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘Writers of particular lives . . . are apt to be prejudiced in favor of their subject.’;

Matterverb

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

Subjectnoun

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.

‘The subject of a proposition is that concerning which anything is affirmed or denied.’;

Matterverb

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

‘He did not matter cold nor hunger.’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘That which manifests its qualities - in other words, that in which the appearing causes inhere, that to which they belong - is called their subject or substance, or substratum.’;

Matternoun

that which has mass and occupies space;

‘an atom is the smallest indivisible unit of matter’;

Subjectnoun

Hence, that substance or being which is conscious of its own operations; the mind; the thinking agent or principal; the ego. Cf. Object, n., 2.

‘The philosophers of mind have, in a manner, usurped and appropriated this expression to themselves. Accordingly, in their hands, the phrases conscious or thinking subject, and subject, mean precisely the same thing.’;

Matternoun

a vaguely specified concern;

‘several matters to attend to’; ‘it is none of your affair’; ‘things are going well’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘The earliest known form of subject is the ecclesiastical cantus firmus, or plain song.’;

Matternoun

some situation or event that is thought about;

‘he kept drifting off the topic’; ‘he had been thinking about the subject for several years’; ‘it is a matter for the police’;

Subjectnoun

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

Matternoun

a problem;

‘is anything the matter?’;

Subjectverb

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

‘Firmness of mind that subjects every gratification of sense to the rule of right reason.’; ‘In one short view subjected to our eye,Gods, emperors, heroes, sages, beauties, lie.’; ‘He is the most subjected, the most nslaved, who is so in his understanding.’;

Matternoun

(used with negation) having consequence;

‘they were friends and it was no matter who won the games’;

Subjectverb

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

Matternoun

written works (especially in books or magazines);

‘he always took some reading matter with him on the plane’;

Subjectverb

To submit; to make accountable.

‘God is not bound to subject his ways of operation to the scrutiny of our thoughts.’;

Matterverb

have weight; have import, carry weight;

‘It does not matter much’;

Subjectverb

To make subservient.

‘Subjected to his service angel wings.’;

Matternoun

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

‘the structure and properties of matter’;

Subjectverb

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

Matternoun

a particular substance

‘faecal matter’; ‘organic matter’;

Subjectnoun

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion;

‘he didn't want to discuss that subject’; ‘it was a very sensitive topic’; ‘his letters were always on the theme of love’;

Matternoun

written or printed material

‘reading matter’;

Subjectnoun

some situation or event that is thought about;

‘he kept drifting off the topic’; ‘he had been thinking about the subject for several years’; ‘it is a matter for the police’;

Matternoun

a subject or situation under consideration

‘financial matters’; ‘a great deal of work was done on this matter’;

Subjectnoun

a branch of knowledge;

‘in what discipline is his doctorate?’; ‘teachers should be well trained in their subject’; ‘anthropology is the study of human beings’;

Matternoun

something which is to be tried or proved in court; a case.

Subjectnoun

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

‘a moving picture of a train is more dramatic than a still picture of the same subject’;

Matternoun

the present state of affairs

‘we can do nothing to change matters’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘the subjects for this investigation were selected randomly’; ‘the cases that we studied were drawn from two different communities’;

Matternoun

the reason for distress or a problem

‘what's the matter?’;

Subjectnoun

a person who owes allegiance to that nation;

‘a monarch has a duty to his subjects’;

Matternoun

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

Subjectnoun

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

Matternoun

the body of a printed work, as distinct from titles, headings, etc.

Subjectnoun

(logic) the first term of a proposition

Matternoun

the particular content of a proposition, as distinct from its form.

Subjectverb

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

‘He subjected me to his awful poetry’; ‘The sergeant subjected the new recruits to many drills’; ‘People in Chernobyl were subjected to radiation’;

Matterverb

be important or significant

‘it doesn't matter what the guests wear’; ‘what did it matter to them?’;

Subjectverb

make accountable for;

‘He did not want to subject himself to the judgments of his superiors’;

Matterverb

(of a person) be important or influential

‘she was trying to get known by the people who matter’;

Subjectverb

make subservient; force to submit or subdue

Matterverb

(of a wound) secrete or discharge pus.

Subjectverb

refer for judgment or consideration;

‘She submitted a proposal to the agency’;

Matter

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, 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.

‘matter’;

Subjectadjective

not exempt from tax;

‘the gift will be subject to taxation’;

Subjectadjective

possibly accepting or permitting;

‘a passage capable of misinterpretation’; ‘open to interpretation’; ‘an issue open to question’; ‘the time is fixed by the director and players and therefore subject to much variation’;

Subjectadjective

being under the power or sovereignty of another or others;

‘subject peoples’; ‘a dependent prince’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘I've said all there is to be said on the subject’; ‘he's the subject of a major new biography’;

Subjectnoun

a person or circumstance giving rise to a specified feeling, response, or action

‘the incident was the subject of international condemnation’;

Subjectnoun

a person who is the focus of scientific or medical attention or experiment

‘subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire’;

Subjectnoun

the part of a proposition about which a statement is made.

Subjectnoun

a theme of a fugue or of a piece in sonata form; a leading phrase or motif

‘the chorale-like second subject of the Scherzo’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘maths is not my best subject’;

Subjectnoun

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

‘the legislation is applicable only to British subjects’;

Subjectnoun

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.

Subjectnoun

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

Subjectnoun

the central substance or core of a thing as opposed to its attributes.

Subjectadjective

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

‘he was subject to bouts of manic depression’;

Subjectadjective

dependent or conditional upon

‘the proposed merger is subject to the approval of the shareholders’;

Subjectadjective

under the authority of

‘ministers are subject to the laws of the land’;

Subjectadjective

under the control or domination of another ruler, country, or government

‘the Greeks were the first subject people to break free from Ottoman rule’;

Subjectadverb

conditionally upon

‘subject to the EC's agreement, we intend to set up an enterprise zone in the area’;

Subjectverb

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

‘he'd subjected her to a terrifying ordeal’;

Subjectverb

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

‘the city had been subjected to Macedonian rule’;