a matter of
idiom
1
—used to refer to a small amount
It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.
The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another
Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.
His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something
She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.
All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.
Examples of a matter of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
About 700,000 years later, the strait burst open again, and a brutal megaflood filled the Mediterranean in a matter of months.
—
Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Over the summer, a group of Indiana organizers responsible for rallying major crowds at the Indiana Statehouse in a matter of months disbanded after infighting divided its core organizers.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
This Sunday’s order is a matter of preference and partiality, but the top five itself seems clear.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
For unaccompanied migrant children passing through the same landscape, lack of appropriate evidence might be a matter of life and death.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
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Big Think, 17 Oct. 2025
Over the summer, a group of Indiana organizers responsible for rallying major crowds at the Indiana Statehouse in a matter of months disbanded after infighting divided its core organizers.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
This Sunday’s order is a matter of preference and partiality, but the top five itself seems clear.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
For unaccompanied migrant children passing through the same landscape, lack of appropriate evidence might be a matter of life and death.
—Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for a matter of
Cite this Entry
“A matter of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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