Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - matter

(matters, mattering, mattered) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A matter is a task, situation, or event which you have to deal with or think about, especially one that involves problems. It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private matter... Until the matter is resolved the athletes will be ineligible to compete... Don’t you think this is now a matter for the police?... Business matters drew him to Paris. = affair N-COUNT: usu with supp 2. You use matters to refer to the situation you are talking about, especially when something is affecting the situation in some way. If your ordinary life is out of control, then retreating into a cosy ritual will not improve matters... If it would facilitate matters, I would be happy to come to New York... Matters took an unexpected turn. N-PLURAL: no det 3. If you say that a situation is a matter of a particular thing, you mean that that is the most important thing to be done or considered when you are involved in the situation or explaining it. History is always a matter of interpretation... Jack had attended these meetings as a matter of routine for years. = question N-SING: a N of n/-ing 4. Printed matter consists of books, newspapers, and other texts that are printed. Reading matter consists of things that are suitable for reading, such as books and newspapers. ...the Government’s plans to levy VAT on printed matter. ...a rich variety of reading matter. N-UNCOUNT: supp N 5. Matter is the physical part of the universe consisting of solids, liquids, and gases. A proton is an elementary particle of matter. N-UNCOUNT 6. You use matter to refer to a particular type of substance. ...waste matter from industries. N-UNCOUNT: with supp 7. You use matter in expressions such as ‘What’s the matter?’ or ‘Is anything the matter?’ when you think that someone has a problem and you want to know what it is. Carole, what’s the matter? You don’t seem happy... She told him there was nothing the matter. N-SING: the N, oft N with n 8. You use matter in expressions such as ‘a matter of weeks’ when you are emphasizing how small an amount is or how short a period of time is. Within a matter of days she was back at work... N-SING: a N of pl-n c darkgreen]emphasis 9. If you say that something does not matter, you mean that it is not important to you because it does not have an effect on you or on a particular situation. A lot of the food goes on the floor but that doesn’t matter... As long as staff are smart, it does not matter how long their hair is... Does it matter that people don’t know this?... Money is the only thing that matters to them. VERB: no cont, usu with brd-neg, V, it V wh, it V that, V to n, also it V 10. see also grey matter, subject matter 11. If you say that something is another matter or a different matter, you mean that it is very different from the situation that you have just discussed. Being responsible for one’s own health is one thing, but being responsible for another person’s health is quite a different matter... PHRASE: v-link PHR 12. If you are going to do something as a matter of urgency or priority, you are going to do it as soon as possible, because it is important. Your doctor and health visitor can help a great deal and you need to talk about it with them as a matter of urgency. PHRASE: PHR n 13. If something is no easy matter, it is difficult to do it. Choosing the colour for the drawing-room walls was no easy matter. PHRASE: v-link PHR 14. If someone says that’s the end of the matter or that’s an end to the matter, they mean that a decision that has been taken must not be changed or discussed any more. ‘He’s moving in here,’ Maria said. ‘So that’s the end of the matter.’ PHRASE 15. You use the fact of the matter is or the truth of the matter is to introduce a fact which supports what you are saying or which is not widely known, for example because it is a secret. The fact of the matter is that most people consume far more protein than they actually need... PHRASE: V inflects, PHR that 16. You can use for that matter to emphasize that the remark you are making is true in the same way as your previous, similar remark. The irony was that Shawn had not seen her. Nor for that matter had anyone else... = come to that PHRASE: PHR with cl c darkgreen]emphasis 17. You say ‘it doesn’t matter’ to tell someone who is apologizing to you that you are not angry or upset, and that they should not worry. ‘Did I wake you?’—‘Yes, but it doesn’t matter.’ CONVENTION 18. If you say that something is no laughing matter, you mean that it is very serious and not something that you should laugh or joke about. Their behaviour is an offence. It’s no laughing matter. = no joke PHRASE: v-link PHR 19. If you say that something makes matters worse, you mean that it makes a difficult situation even more difficult. Don’t let yourself despair; this will only make matters worse... PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR with cl 20. You use no matter in expressions such as ‘no matter how’ and ‘no matter what’ to say that something is true or happens in all circumstances. No matter what your age, you can lose weight by following this program... PHRASE: PHR wh 21. If you say that you are going to do something no matter what, you are emphasizing that you are definitely going to do it, even if there are obstacles or difficulties. He had decided to publish the manuscript no matter what... = come what may PHRASE: PHR with cl c darkgreen]emphasis 22. If you say that a statement is a matter of opinion, you mean that it is not a fact, and that other people, including yourself, do not agree with it. ‘We’re not that contrived. We’re not that theatrical.’—‘That’s a matter of opinion.’ PHRASE: v-link PHR 23. If you say that something is just a matter of time, you mean that it is certain to happen at some time in the future. It would be only a matter of time before he went through with it. PHRASE: v-link PHR 24. a matter of life and death: see death as a matter of course: see course as a matter of fact: see fact mind over matter: see mind