matter of law

American

noun

Law.

an issue or matter to be determined according to the relevant principles of law.

matter of law British

noun

law an issue requiring the court's interpretation of the law or relevant principles of the law Compare matter of fact

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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matter of law

Rather, they should be a matter of law.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 15, 2026

They need to be addressed as a matter of law and because failure to comply with terms of the treaty undermines growth across the continent.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 23, 2025

She added that the government's arguments "fail as a matter of law".

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2025

In letters to colleagues and friends, he maintained that “the school decisions were wrongly decided,” misguided not only as a matter of law but as social policy as well.

From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2024

It should not be a matter of choice, it should be a matter of law.

From Average Americans by Theodore Roosevelt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023