Matter | Mean of matter in English Dictionary

/ˈmætɚ/

• Noun
• something that is being done, talked about, or thought about
1. He has a few personal matters to deal with.
2. Disagreement is one thing, but accusations of lying are a different matter altogether!
3. Thanks for bringing this matter to our attention. [=for telling us about this problem or issue]
4. That's a matter for a jury (to decide).
5. The schedule is a matter of some concern. [=is something that we are worried about]
6. It's no easy/simple matter [=it's not easy] to find a decent place to live in this city.
7. This is no joking/laughing matter. = This is a serious matter.
8. Getting the money to finance a project like this is no small matter. [=is not an easy thing to do]
9. He wants to buy a new car, but first there's the little/small matter of getting enough money to pay for it. [=he can't buy a new car until he has enough money to pay for it]
• the situation or subject that is being discussed or dealt with
1. Let's not allow matters [=things] to get out of control.
2. She's an expert in legal/financial/money matters. = (formal) She's an expert in matters legal/financial.
3. It's best not to interfere in matters [=affairs] of the heart.
4. It didn't exactly help matters [=it didn't make the situation better] when he accused her of lying!
5. He laughed at her and then, to make matters worse, he accused her of lying! [=it made the situation worse when he accused her of lying]
6. To (further) complicate matters, they both have the same name. = To complicate matters further, they both have the same name. [=the situation is more complicated because they both have the same name]
7. After months of waiting for something to happen, he decided to take matters into his own hands. [=to do something himself instead of waiting for other people to do something]
• the thing that forms physical objects and occupies space
1. Can matter and energy be changed into each other?

• material of a particular kind
1. vegetable matter
2. organic/waste matter
3. printed/reading matter [=books, magazines, newspapers, etc.]
• something that is known because it has been publicly said or reported in the past
1. His opposition to the plan is a matter of record.
• Verb
• to be important
1. Our families and friends are the people who matter most to us. [=the people we care about most]
2. Her wealth doesn't matter to me. = It doesn't matter to me that she's rich. [=I don't care that she is rich]
3. It may not matter to you, but it matters a lot to me!
4. “Which would you prefer?” “Either one is fine. It really doesn't matter (to me).”
5. I don't care if you're a little late. All that matters is that you're safe. = The only thing that matters is that you're safe. = What matters is that you're safe.
6. “Why are you being so quiet?” “Does it matter?” “Of course it matters!”
7. What does it matter? = It doesn't matter. [=it's not important; I don't care]
8. I see that she's late again. Not that it matters (to me). [=she's late again, but that's all right]
9. He acts as if it doesn't matter that he lied to us.
10. It doesn't matter how old you are.
11. It doesn't matter what I say to him. He just won't listen.
12. It doesn't matter whether we stay at home or go out.