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matter
[ mat-er ]
noun
- the substance or substances of which any physical object consists or is composed:
the matter of which the earth is made.
- physical or corporeal substance in general, whether solid, liquid, or gaseous, especially as distinguished from incorporeal substance, as spirit or mind, or from qualities, actions, and the like.
- something that occupies space.
- a particular kind of substance:
coloring matter.
- a situation, state, affair, or business:
a trivial matter.
- an amount or extent reckoned approximately:
a matter of 10 miles.
- something of consequence:
matter for serious thought.
- importance or significance:
decisions of little matter.
Synonyms: moment
Whatever is the matter?
There is something the matter with the car.
- ground, reason, or cause:
a matter for complaint.
- the material or substance of a discourse, book, etc., often as distinguished from its form.
- things put down in words, especially printed:
reading matter.
- things sent by mail:
postal matter.
- a substance discharged by a living body, especially pus.
- Philosophy.
- that which by integrative organization forms chemical substances and living things.
- Aristotelianism. that which relates to form as potentiality does to actuality.
- Law. statement or allegation.
- Printing.
- material for work; copy.
- type set up.
- Christian Science. the concept of substance shaped by the limitations of the human mind.
matter
/ ˈmætə /
noun
- that which makes up something, esp a physical object; material
- substance that occupies space and has mass, as distinguished from substance that is mental, spiritual, etc
- substance of a specified type
vegetable matter
reading matter
- sometimes foll byof or for thing; affair; concern; question
a matter of taste
several matters to attend to
no laughing matter
- a quantity or amount
a matter of a few pence
- the content of written or verbal material as distinct from its style or form
- used with a negative importance; consequence
- philosophy (in the writings of Aristotle and the Scholastics) that which is itself formless but can receive form and become substance
- philosophy (in the Cartesian tradition) one of two basic modes of existence, the other being mind : matter being extended in space as well as time
- printing
- type set up, either standing or for use
- copy to be set in type
- a secretion or discharge, such as pus
- law
- something to be proved
- statements or allegations to be considered by a court
- for that matteras regards that
- See grey matter
- no matter
- regardless of; irrespective of
no matter what the excuse, you must not be late
- sentence substitute it is unimportant
- the matterwrong; the trouble
there's nothing the matter
verb
- to be of consequence or importance
- to form and discharge pus
matter
/ măt′ər /
- Something that has mass. Most of the matter in the universe is composed of atoms which are themselves composed of subatomic particles .
- See also energy
Other Words From
- matter·ful adjective
- matter·less adjective
- non·matter noun
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of matter1
Idioms and Phrases
- a matter of life and death, something of vital or crucial importance.
- as a matter of fact, in reality; actually; in fact:
As a matter of fact, there is no substance to that rumor.
- for that matter, as far as that is concerned; as for that: Also for the matter of that.
For that matter, you are no better qualified to judge than I.
- no matter,
- regardless or irrespective of:
We'll never finish on time, no matter how hard we work.
- it is unimportant; it makes no difference:
No matter, this string will do as well as any other.
More idioms and phrases containing matter
- crux of the matter
- for that matter
- gray matter
- mince matters
- mind over matter
- no joke (laughing matter)
- no matter
- the matter
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
There’s also the ever-present matter of how long it takes a test such as the LabCorp one to come back.
They described the changes as addressing national security concerns about the transaction and asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Then there is the not-small matter of whether Facebook can actually enforce the rules it comes up with.
Leo Kadanoff, a condensed matter researcher, figured out how to do so in 1966.
Byrne notes that lots of proposals over the years have called for dropping something into the atmosphere itself to look for more biosignatures or even organic matter.
To borrow an old right-wing talking point, these people are angry no matter what we do.
The end of conventional childbirth might only be a matter of time.
In the absence of cultural shifts, then, new reproductive technology might not matter as much for women as it would for men.
Before we get to all that, permit me a brief reflection on this matter of Steve Scalise.
Nixon said defending the two islands was “a matter of principle.”
I assure you, no matter how beautifully we play any piece, the minute Liszt plays it, you would scarcely recognize it!
I hate to be long at my toilette at any time; but to delay much in such a matter while travelling is folly.
“And the matter of the will was all disposed of by the probate judge today, I hear,” said the judge, his hand on the door.
The first month I was here, when there were only five of us, it was quite another matter, but now the room is crowded every time.
Let us look over these points again, and make the matter still clearer and more simple.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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