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

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But as a matter of law, the TPS statute precludes judicial review.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

US District Judge Margaret Garnett ruled last week that the charges did not meet "the federal statutory definition of a 'crime of violence' as matter of law".

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Rather, they should be a matter of law.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 15, 2026

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

Do you wish to consult me on any matter of law?

From My Life: or the Adventures of Geo. Thompson Being the Auto-Biography of an Author. Written by Himself. by Thompson, George

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