matter

[ mat-er ]

noun

1. the substance or substances of which any physical object consists or is composed:

   the matter of which the earth is made.

2. 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.
3. something that occupies space.
4. a particular kind of substance:

   coloring matter.

5. a situation, state, affair, or business:

   a trivial matter.

   Synonyms: concern, thing

6. an amount or extent reckoned approximately:

   a matter of 10 miles.

7. something of consequence:

   matter for serious thought.

8. importance or significance:

   decisions of little matter.

   Synonyms: moment

9. difficulty; problem; trouble: There is something the matter with the car.

   Whatever is the matter?

   There is something the matter with the car.

10. ground, reason, or cause:

    a matter for complaint.

11. the material or substance of a discourse, book, etc., often as distinguished from its form.

    Synonyms: topic, subject, content

12. things put down in words, especially printed:

    reading matter.

13. things sent by mail:

    postal matter.

14. a substance discharged by a living body, especially pus.
15. Philosophy.
    1. that which by integrative organization forms chemical substances and living things.
    2. Aristotelianism. that which relates to form as potentiality does to actuality.
16. Law. statement or allegation.
17. Printing.
    1. material for work; copy.
    2. type set up.
18. Christian Science. the concept of substance shaped by the limitations of the human mind.

verb (used without object)

1. to be of importance; signify:

   It matters little.

   Synonyms: count

2. Pathology. to suppurate.

matter

/ ˈmætə /

noun

1. that which makes up something, esp a physical object; material
2. substance that occupies space and has mass, as distinguished from substance that is mental, spiritual, etc
3. substance of a specified type

   reading matter

   vegetable matter

4. sometimes foll byof or for thing; affair; concern; question

   no laughing matter

   a matter of taste

   several matters to attend to

5. a quantity or amount

   a matter of a few pence

6. the content of written or verbal material as distinct from its style or form
7. used with a negative importance; consequence
8. philosophy (in the writings of Aristotle and the Scholastics) that which is itself formless but can receive form and become substance
9. 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
10. printing
    1. type set up, either standing or for use
    2. copy to be set in type
11. a secretion or discharge, such as pus
12. law
    1. something to be proved
    2. statements or allegations to be considered by a court
13. for that matter
    for that matter as regards that
14. See grey matter
    See grey matter
15. no matter
    no matter
    1. regardless of; irrespective of

       no matter what the excuse, you must not be late

    2. sentence substitute it is unimportant
16. the matter
    the matter wrong; the trouble

    there's nothing the matter

verb

1. to be of consequence or importance
2. to form and discharge pus

matter

/ măt′ər /

1. Something that has mass. Most of the matter in the universe is composed of atoms which are themselves composed of subatomic particles .
2. See also energy

matter

1. In physics , something that has mass and is distinct from energy . ( See phases of matter .)

Other Words From

• matter·ful adjective
• matter·less adjective
• non·matter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of matter¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of matter¹

C13 (n), C16 (vb): from Latin māteria cause, substance, esp wood, or a substance that produces something else; related to māter mother

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a matter of life and death, something of vital or crucial importance.
2. as a matter of fact, in reality; actually; in fact:

   As a matter of fact, there is no substance to that rumor.

3. 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.

4. no matter,
   1. regardless or irrespective of:

      We'll never finish on time, no matter how hard we work.

   2. it is unimportant; it makes no difference:

      No matter, this string will do as well as any other.

More idioms and phrases containing matter

• crux of the matter
• for that matter
• gray matter
• mince matters
• mind over matter
• no joke (laughing matter)
• no matter
• the matter

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

There’s also the ever-present matter of how long it takes a test such as the LabCorp one to come back.

From Fortune

They described the changes as addressing national security concerns about the transaction and asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

From Fortune

Then there is the not-small matter of whether Facebook can actually enforce the rules it comes up with.

From TechCrunch

Leo Kadanoff, a condensed matter researcher, figured out how to do so in 1966.

From Quanta Magazine

Byrne notes that lots of proposals over the years have called for dropping something into the atmosphere itself to look for more biosignatures or even organic matter.

From MIT Technology Review

To borrow an old right-wing talking point, these people are angry no matter what we do.

From The Daily Beast

The end of conventional childbirth might only be a matter of time.

From The Daily Beast

In the absence of cultural shifts, then, new reproductive technology might not matter as much for women as it would for men.

From The Daily Beast

Before we get to all that, permit me a brief reflection on this matter of Steve Scalise.

From The Daily Beast

Nixon said defending the two islands was “a matter of principle.”

From The Daily Beast

I assure you, no matter how beautifully we play any piece, the minute Liszt plays it, you would scarcely recognize it!

From Project Gutenberg

I hate to be long at my toilette at any time; but to delay much in such a matter while travelling is folly.

From Project Gutenberg

“And the matter of the will was all disposed of by the probate judge today, I hear,” said the judge, his hand on the door.

From Project Gutenberg

The first month I was here, when there were only five of us, it was quite another matter, but now the room is crowded every time.

From Project Gutenberg

Let us look over these points again, and make the matter still clearer and more simple.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• affect
• count
• imply
• involve
• mean
• signify