- that which by integrative organization forms chemical substances and living things.
- Aristotelianism. that which relates to form as potentiality does to actuality.
- material for work; copy.
- type set up.
verb (used without object)
- regardless or irrespective of: We'll never finish on time, no matter how hard we work.
- it is unimportant; it makes no difference: No matter, this string will do as well as any other.
Origin of matter
Examples from the Web for matters
These matters are not mere threats to abstract constitutional principles.Politicians Only Love Journalists When They're Dead|Luke O’Neil|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
What matters is being honest, humble, and a faithful and loyal friend, father and member of your community.Abramoff’s Advice for Virginia’s New Jailhouse Guv|Tim Mak, Jackie Kucinich|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He also believed, as a matter of political prudence, that the commercials had to be defensible on matters of fact.David Garth, the Consultant Who Talked Up to Voters|Jeff Greenfield|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the broader public, it matters that we have become desensitized to the loss of some lives and value them less than others.The Post-Brown and Garner Question: Who ‘Deserves’ to Die?|Goldie Taylor|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then struck an optimistic note, saying his own life is proof that we have made great progress in matters of race.
As resident physician for over fifteen years, I had learned patience in these matters.Unbegotten Child|Winston Marks
I thought you had entirely forgot my £20 amid the other weighty matters you had to settle for me.The Book-Hunter|John Hill Burton
By seeing to these matters we can make the lighting much more satisfactory than it otherwise would be.Wrinkles in Electric Lighting|Vincent Stephen
He saw what was happening there with regard to matters of art, and that he could not dream of producing his tetralogy.Wagner at Home|Judith Gautier
With all this diversity of race there was a great diversity of opinions about political questions, as about other matters.The War of Independence|John Fiske
British Dictionary definitions for matters
- type set up, either standing or for use
- copy to be set in type
- something to be proved
- statements or allegations to be considered by a court
- regardless of; irrespective ofno matter what the excuse, you must not be late
- (sentence substitute) it is unimportant
Word Origin for matter
Word Origin and History for matters (1 of 3)
"events, affairs of a particular sort," 1560s, from plural of matter (n.).
Word Origin and History for matters (1 of 3)
"to be of importance or consequence," 1580s, from matter (n.). Related: Mattered; mattering.
Word Origin and History for matters (2 of 3)
c.1200, materie, "subject of thought, speech, or expression," from Anglo-French matere, Old French matere "subject, theme, topic; substance, content, material; character, education" (12c., Modern French matière), from Latin materia "substance from which something is made," also "hard inner wood of a tree" (cf. Portuguese madeira "wood"), from mater "origin, source, mother" (see mother (n.1)). Or, on another theory, it represents *dmateria, from PIE root *dem-/*dom- (cf. Latin domus "house," English timber). With sense development in Latin influenced by Greek hyle, of which it was the equivalent in philosophy.
Meaning "physical substance generally, matter, material" is early 14c.; that of "substance of which some specific object is made or consists of" is attested from late 14c. That of "piece of business, affair, activity, situation, circumstance" is from late 14c. From mid-14c. as "subject of a literary work, content of what is written, main theme." Also in Middle English as "cause, reasons, ground; essential character; field of investigation."
Matter of course "something expected" attested from 1739. For that matter attested from 1670s. What is the matter "what concerns (someone), the cause of the difficulty" is attested from mid-15c. To make no matter "be no difference to" also is mid-15c.
Medicine definitions for matters
Science definitions for matters
Culture definitions for matters
Idioms and Phrases with matters
In addition to the idioms beginning with matter
- matter of course, a
- matter of fact, a
- matter of life and death, a
- matter of opinion, a
- crux of the matter
- for that matter
- gray matter
- mince matters
- mind over matter
- no joke (laughing matter)
- no matter
- the matter