Main Entry:

¹mat·ter

Pronunciation:

\ˈma-tər\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English matere, from Anglo-French, from Latin materia matter, physical substance, from mater

Date:

13th century

1 a: a subject under consideration b: a subject of disagreement or litigation cplural : the events or circumstances of a particular situation d: the subject or substance of a discourse or writing e: something of an indicated kind or having to do with an indicated field or situation <this is a serious matter> <as a matter of policy> <matters of faith> f: something to be proved in law gobsolete : sensible or serious material as distinguished from nonsense or drollery h (1)obsolete : reason, cause (2): a source especially of feeling or emotion i: problem, difficulty2 a: the substance of which a physical object is composed b: material substance that occupies space, has mass, and is composed predominantly of atoms consisting of protons, neutrons, and electrons, that constitutes the observable universe, and that is interconvertible with energy c: a material substance of a particular kind or for a particular purpose <vegetable matter> d (1): material (as feces or urine) discharged from the living body (2): material discharged by suppuration : pus3 a: the indeterminate subject of reality ; especially : the element in the universe that undergoes formation and alteration b: the formless substratum of all things which exists only potentially and upon which form acts to produce realities4: a more or less definite amount or quantity <cooks in a matter of minutes>5: something written or printed6: mail7Christian Science : the illusion that the objects perceived by the physical senses have the reality of substance

— as a matter of fact

: in fact : actually

— for that matter

: so far as that is concerned

— no matter

: without regard to : irrespective of <points in the same direction no matter how it is tilted>

— no matter what

: regardless of the costs, consequences, or results <wants to win, no matter what>

— the matter

: wrong <nothing's the matter with me>