Matter

/ˈmæt.ə/ · noun

Meaning

(uncountable) Material; substance..

Definitions by Sense

1. (uncountable) Material; substance.
2. An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.
3. An approximate amount or extent.
4. (countable, law) Legal services provided by a lawyer or firm to their client in relation to a particular issue.
5. (obsolete) Essence; pith; embodiment.
6. (obsolete) (The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.
7. (dated, medicine) Pus.
8. (uncountable) Importance.

Example Sentences

Something is the matter with him.

The diplomats met to discuss state matters.

So in many armies, if the matter ſhould bee tried by duell betvvene tvvo Champions, the victory ſhould goe on the one ſide, & yet if it be tried by the groſſe, it vvould goe on the other ſide: for excellencies goe as it vvere by chance, but kinds goe by a more certaine Nature, as by Diſcipline in vvarre.

Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name / Shall be the copious matter of my song.

Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge.

The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.

The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled.

I stayed for a matter of months.

Synonyms for matter

Antonyms for matter

Related Words

Word Forms

• matters
• mattering
• mattered

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

Practice and Learn More

Frequently Asked Questions