matter of fact

¹ American  

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.

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matter-of-fact ² American  

[mat-er-uhv-fakt] / ˈmæt ər əvˈfækt /

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.

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matter of fact British  

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

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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

Etymology

Origin of matter of fact¹

First recorded in 1575–85

Origin of matter-of-fact²

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

He is matter of fact about his achievement.

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

Ms Hodson wrote: "I asked him about the incident at his admissions meeting and he was monotone, emotionless and very matter of fact about his intentions."

From BBC • Oct. 21, 2025

“As a matter of fact, I was right.”

From Slate • Aug. 18, 2025

“In Los Angeles right now — today, as a matter of fact — we have agents out on the streets right now making apprehensions, as you and I are speaking,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

“I don’t even think he does it out of guilt. As a matter of fact he does it in this particularly light-hearted way which infuriates me.”

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

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