List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 382

SYNONYMS: subject, matter, topic, theme.
These nouns denote the principal idea or point of a speech, a piece of writing, or an artistic work.

Subject is the most general: Well, honor is the subject of my story.
Matter refers to the material that is the object of thought or discourse: This distinction seems to me to go to the root of the matter.
A topic is a subject of discussion, argument, or conversation: They would talk of nothing but high life with other fashionable topics.
Theme refers especially to a subject, an idea, a point of view, or a perception that is developed and expanded on in a work of art: To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.