matter of fact

¹

noun

1. something of a factual nature, as an actual occurrence.

2. Law.,  a statement or allegation to be judged on the basis of the evidence.

matter-of-fact

²

[mat-er-uhv-fakt]

adjective

1. adhering strictly to fact; not imaginative; prosaic; dry; commonplace.

   a matter-of-fact account of the political rally.

2. direct or unemotional; straightforward; down-to-earth.

matter of fact

noun

1. a fact that is undeniably true

2. law a statement of facts the truth of which the court must determine on the basis of the evidence before it Compare matter of law

3. philosophy a proposition that is amenable to empirical testing, as contrasted with the truths of logic or mathematics

4. actually; in fact

adjective

1. unimaginative or emotionless

   he gave a matter-of-fact account of the murder

Other Word Forms

• matter-of-factly adverb
• matter-of-factness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of matter of fact¹

First recorded in 1575–85

Origin of matter of fact²

First recorded in 1705–15

Related Words

• deadpan 
• down-to-earth 
• factual 
• pragmatic 
• sober 
• stoic 
• unvarnished