matter
Americannoun
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the substance or substances of which any physical object consists or is composed.
the matter of which the earth is made.
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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.
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something that occupies space.
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a particular kind of substance.
coloring matter.
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a situation, state, affair, or business.
a trivial matter.
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an amount or extent reckoned approximately.
a matter of 10 miles.
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something of consequence.
matter for serious thought.
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importance or significance.
decisions of little matter.
- Synonyms:
- moment
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difficulty; problem; trouble: There is something the matter with the car.
Whatever is the matter?
There is something the matter with the car.
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ground, reason, or cause.
a matter for complaint.
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the material or substance of a discourse, book, etc., often as distinguished from its form.
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things put down in words, especially printed.
reading matter.
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things sent by mail.
postal matter.
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a substance discharged by a living body, especially pus.
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Philosophy.
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that which by integrative organization forms chemical substances and living things.
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Aristotelianism. that which relates to form as potentiality does to actuality.
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Law. statement or allegation.
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Printing.
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material for work; copy.
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type set up.
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Christian Science. the concept of substance shaped by the limitations of the human mind.
verb (used without object)
idioms
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a matter of life and death, something of vital or crucial importance.
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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.
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as a matter of fact, in reality; actually; in fact.
As a matter of fact, there is no substance to that rumor.
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no matter,
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regardless or irrespective of.
We'll never finish on time, no matter how hard we work.
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it is unimportant; it makes no difference.
No matter, this string will do as well as any other.
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noun
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that which makes up something, esp a physical object; material
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substance that occupies space and has mass, as distinguished from substance that is mental, spiritual, etc
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substance of a specified type
vegetable matter
reading matter
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thing; affair; concern; question
a matter of taste
several matters to attend to
no laughing matter
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a quantity or amount
a matter of a few pence
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the content of written or verbal material as distinct from its style or form
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(used with a negative) importance; consequence
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philosophy (in the writings of Aristotle and the Scholastics) that which is itself formless but can receive form and become substance
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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
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printing
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type set up, either standing or for use
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copy to be set in type
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a secretion or discharge, such as pus
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law
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something to be proved
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statements or allegations to be considered by a court
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as regards that
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See grey matter
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regardless of; irrespective of
no matter what the excuse, you must not be late
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(sentence substitute) it is unimportant
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wrong; the trouble
there's nothing the matter
verb
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to be of consequence or importance
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to form and discharge pus
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Something that has mass. Most of the matter in the universe is composed of atoms which are themselves composed of subatomic particles.
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See also energy state of matter
Related Words
Matter, material, stuff, substance refer to that of which physical objects are composed (though all these terms are also used abstractly). Matter, as distinct from mind and spirit, is a broad word that applies to anything perceived, or known to be occupying space: solid matter; gaseous matter. Material usually means some definite kind, quality, or quantity of matter, especially as intended for use: woolen material; a house built of good materials. Stuff, a less technical word, with approximately the same meanings as material, is characterized by being on an informal level when it refers to physical objects ( Dynamite is queer stuff ), and on a literary or poetic one when it is used abstractly ( the stuff that dreams are made on ). Substance is the matter that composes a thing, thought of in relation to its essential properties: a sticky substance.
Other Word Forms
- matterful adjective
- matterless adjective
- nonmatter noun
Etymology
Origin of matter
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English mater(e), materie, from Anglo-French, Old French mat(i)ere, materie, from Latin māteria “woody part of a tree, material, substance,” derivative of māter “mother”; mother 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No matter, two of these teams will be playoff bound by next week—even if they’re hardly as intimidating as the rest of the teams vying to win the Super Bowl.
Wilson has nominated three director candidates to the company’s board, according to people familiar with the matter.
She said police were not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter.
From BBC
Tesla stock has had an unusual 2025, which tells investors one thing: car sales don’t matter much anymore.
From Barron's
Tesla stock has had an unusual 2025, which tells investors one thing: car sales don’t matter much anymore.
From Barron's
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.
