matter

See also: Matter and måtter

English

Etymology

From Middle English matere, mater, from Anglo-Norman matere, materie, from Old French materie, matiere, from Latin materia (“wood”), from mater (“mother”), in which case cognate with Old Armenian մայր (mayr, “cedar”) and մայրի (mayri, “forest”). More recently, referred to Proto-Indo-European *dem-. Doublet of Madeira and mother.

Displaced Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”), from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”), Old English intinga (“matter, affair, business”).

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈmætə/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈmætɚ/, [-ɾɚ]
  • Audio (GA)(file)
  • Homophone: madder (some US pronunciations)
  • Rhymes: -ætə(ɹ)
  • Hyphenation: mat‧ter

Noun

matter (countable and uncountable, plural matters)

  1. (uncountable) Material; substance.
    1. (physics) Anything with mass.
    2. (physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.
      Antonym: antimatter
    3. A kind of substance.
      vegetable matter
    4. Printed material, especially in books or magazines.
      He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
    5. (philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.
  2. An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.
    Something is the matter with him.
    The diplomats met to discuss state matters.
    • 1597, Francis [Bacon], “Of the Colours of Good and Evill, a Fragment”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland […], published 1632, →OCLC:
      So in many armies, if the matter ſhould bee tried by duell betvvene tvvo Champions, the victory ſhould goe on the one ſide, & yet if it be tried by the groſſe, it vvould goe on the other ſide: for excellencies goe as it vvere by chance, but kinds goe by a more certaine Nature, as by Diſcipline in vvarre.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
      Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name / Shall be the copious matter of my song.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus xviii:22:
      Every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge.
    • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:
      The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; […] . Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
    • 2012 July 12, Sam Adams, “Ice Age: Continental Drift”, in AV Club:
      The matter of whether the world needs a fourth Ice Age movie pales beside the question of why there were three before it, but Continental Drift feels less like an extension of a theatrical franchise than an episode of a middling TV cartoon, lolling around on territory that’s already been settled.
  3. An approximate amount or extent.
    I stayed for a matter of months.
  4. (countable, law) Legal services provided by a lawyer or firm to their client in relation to a particular issue.
    Please find attached an invoice for three outstanding matters.
  5. (obsolete) Essence; pith; embodiment.
  6. (obsolete) (The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.
  7. (dated, medicine) Pus.
  8. (uncountable) Importance.
    • 1880, Bernard Nulty, The Patriot Chief: And Other Poems, page 211:
      What matter if we unrewarded must strive, / If Wall Street and gamblers around it may thrive? / What matter if we doubly pay for our food / To support the monopolist kings of the road?

Usage notes
  • As regards sense 2 ("an affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or one that is problematic"), the phrase the matter can in most cases be replaced by the adjective wrong. Thus, a phrase like "there is nothing the matter" can be reworded as "there is nothing wrong".

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Verb

matter (third-person singular simple present matters, present participle mattering, simple past and past participle mattered)

  1. (intransitive, stative) To be important. [from 16th c.]
    The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich.
    Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter.
    • 1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC:
      As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish, […]. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. […] I do not suppose that it matters much in reality whether laws are made by dukes or cornerboys, but I like, as far as possible, to associate with gentlemen in private life.
    • 2011 April 10, Alistair Magowan, “Aston Villa 1-0 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
      Despite further attempts by Agbonlahor and Young, however, they could not find the goal to reward their endeavour.
      It mattered little as Newcastle's challenge faded and Villa began to dominate the game in midfield, and it was only Barton's continued sense of injustice that offered the visitors any spark in a tame contest.
  2. (transitive, in negative constructions, now England regional, Caribbean) To care about, to mind; to find important. [from 17th c.]
  3. (intransitive, medicine, archaic) To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

References

    Further reading

    French

    Pronunciation
    • IPA(key): /ma.te/
    • Audio(file)

    Verb

    matter

    1. Alternative spelling of mater

    Conjugation
    Conjugation of matter (see also Appendix:French verbs)
    infinitive simple matter
    compound avoir + past participle
    present participle or gerund1 simple mattant
    /ma.tɑ̃/
    compound ayant + past participle
    past participle matté
    /ma.te/
    singular plural
    first second third first second third
    indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		 present matte
    /mat/    		 mattes
    /mat/    		 matte
    /mat/    		 mattons
    /ma.tɔ̃/    		 mattez
    /ma.te/    		 mattent
    /mat/
    imperfect mattais
    /ma.tɛ/    		 mattais
    /ma.tɛ/    		 mattait
    /ma.tɛ/    		 mattions
    /ma.tjɔ̃/    		 mattiez
    /ma.tje/    		 mattaient
    /ma.tɛ/
    past historic2 mattai
    /ma.te/    		 mattas
    /ma.ta/    		 matta
    /ma.ta/    		 mattâmes
    /ma.tam/    		 mattâtes
    /ma.tat/    		 mattèrent
    /ma.tɛʁ/
    future matterai
    /ma.tʁe/    		 matteras
    /ma.tʁa/    		 mattera
    /ma.tʁa/    		 matterons
    /ma.tʁɔ̃/    		 matterez
    /ma.tʁe/    		 matteront
    /ma.tʁɔ̃/
    conditional matterais
    /ma.tʁɛ/    		 matterais
    /ma.tʁɛ/    		 matterait
    /ma.tʁɛ/    		 matterions
    /ma.tə.ʁjɔ̃/    		 matteriez
    /ma.tə.ʁje/    		 matteraient
    /ma.tʁɛ/
    (compound
    tenses)    		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
    pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
    past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
    future perfect future of avoir + past participle
    conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
    subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		 present matte
    /mat/    		 mattes
    /mat/    		 matte
    /mat/    		 mattions
    /ma.tjɔ̃/    		 mattiez
    /ma.tje/    		 mattent
    /mat/
    imperfect2 mattasse
    /ma.tas/    		 mattasses
    /ma.tas/    		 mattât
    /ma.ta/    		 mattassions
    /ma.ta.sjɔ̃/    		 mattassiez
    /ma.ta.sje/    		 mattassent
    /ma.tas/
    (compound
    tenses)    		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    imperative – tu – nous vous –
    simple — matte
    /mat/    		 — mattons
    /ma.tɔ̃/    		 mattez
    /ma.te/    		 —
    compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
    1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
    2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
    • past historic → present perfect
    • past anterior → pluperfect
    • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
    • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

    (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

    Anagrams

    German

    Pronunciation
    • IPA(key): /ˈmatɐ/
    • Audio (Austria)(file)
    • Audio(file)

    Adjective

    matter

    1. comparative degree of matt
    2. inflection of matt:
      1. strong/mixed nominative masculine singular
      2. strong genitive/dative feminine singular
      3. strong genitive plural

    Middle French

    Alternative forms

    Verb

    matter

    1. to checkmate

    Conjugation
    • Middle French conjugation varies from one text to another. Hence, the following conjugation should be considered as typical, not as exhaustive.
    Conjugation of matter
    infinitive simple matter
    compound avoir + past participle
    present participle1 or gerund2 simple [[{{{1}}}ant#Middle French|{{{1}}}ant]]
    compound present participle or gerund of avoir + past participle
    past participle [[{{{1}}}é#Middle French|{{{1}}}é]]
    singular plural
    first second third first second third
    indicative ie (i’) tu il, elle nous vous ilz, elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		 present [[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{1}}}es#Middle French|{{{1}}}es]] [[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{1}}}ons#Middle French|{{{1}}}ons]] [[{{{1}}}ez#Middle French|{{{1}}}ez]] [[{{{1}}}ent#Middle French|{{{1}}}ent]]
    imperfect [[{{{1}}}ois#Middle French|{{{1}}}ois]], [[{{{1}}}oys#Middle French|{{{1}}}oys]] [[{{{1}}}ois#Middle French|{{{1}}}ois]], [[{{{1}}}oys#Middle French|{{{1}}}oys]] [[{{{1}}}oit#Middle French|{{{1}}}oit]], [[{{{1}}}oyt#Middle French|{{{1}}}oyt]] [[{{{1}}}ions#Middle French|{{{1}}}ions]], [[{{{1}}}yons#Middle French|{{{1}}}yons]] [[{{{1}}}iez#Middle French|{{{1}}}iez]], [[{{{1}}}yez#Middle French|{{{1}}}yez]] [[{{{1}}}oient#Middle French|{{{1}}}oient]], [[{{{1}}}oyent#Middle French|{{{1}}}oyent]]
    past historic [[{{{1}}}a#Middle French|{{{1}}}a]] [[{{{1}}}as#Middle French|{{{1}}}as]] [[{{{1}}}a#Middle French|{{{1}}}a]] [[{{{1}}}asmes#Middle French|{{{1}}}asmes]] [[{{{1}}}astes#Middle French|{{{1}}}astes]] [[{{{1}}}erent#Middle French|{{{1}}}erent]]
    future [[{{{1}}}erai#Middle French|{{{1}}}erai]], [[{{{1}}}eray#Middle French|{{{1}}}eray]] [[{{{1}}}eras#Middle French|{{{1}}}eras]] [[{{{1}}}era#Middle French|{{{1}}}era]] [[{{{1}}}erons#Middle French|{{{1}}}erons]] [[{{{1}}}erez#Middle French|{{{1}}}erez]] [[{{{1}}}eront#Middle French|{{{1}}}eront]]
    conditional [[{{{1}}}erois#Middle French|{{{1}}}erois]], [[{{{1}}}eroys#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroys]] [[{{{1}}}erois#Middle French|{{{1}}}erois]], [[{{{1}}}eroys#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroys]] [[{{{1}}}eroit#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroit]], [[{{{1}}}eroyt#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroyt]] [[{{{1}}}erions#Middle French|{{{1}}}erions]], [[{{{1}}}eryons#Middle French|{{{1}}}eryons]] [[{{{1}}}eriez#Middle French|{{{1}}}eriez]], [[{{{1}}}eryez#Middle French|{{{1}}}eryez]] [[{{{1}}}eroient#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroient]], [[{{{1}}}eroyent#Middle French|{{{1}}}eroyent]]
    (compound
    tenses)    		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
    pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
    past anterior past historic of avoir + past participle
    future perfect future of avoir + past participle
    conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
    subjunctive que ie (i’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ilz, qu’elles
    (simple
    tenses)    		 present [[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{1}}}es#Middle French|{{{1}}}es]] [[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{1}}}ons#Middle French|{{{1}}}ons]] [[{{{1}}}ez#Middle French|{{{1}}}ez]] [[{{{1}}}ent#Middle French|{{{1}}}ent]]
    imperfect [[{{{1}}}asse#Middle French|{{{1}}}asse]] [[{{{1}}}asses#Middle French|{{{1}}}asses]] [[{{{1}}}ast#Middle French|{{{1}}}ast]] [[{{{1}}}assions#Middle French|{{{1}}}assions]] [[{{{1}}}assiez#Middle French|{{{1}}}assiez]] [[{{{1}}}assent#Middle French|{{{1}}}assent]]
    (compound
    tenses)    		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
    imperative – tu – nous vous –
    simple — [[{{{1}}}e#Middle French|{{{1}}}e]] — [[{{{1}}}ons#Middle French|{{{1}}}ons]] [[{{{1}}}ez#Middle French|{{{1}}}ez]] —
    compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
    1 The present participle was variable in gender and number until the 17th century (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], Une esthétique nouvelle: Honoré d'Urfé, correcteur de l'Astrée, p. 179). The French Academy would eventually declare it not to be declined in 1679.
    2 The gerund was held to be invariable by grammarians of the early 17th century, and was usable with preposition en, as in Modern French, although the preposition was not mandatory (Anne Sancier-Château [1995], op. cit., p. 180).

    Norwegian Bokmål

    Noun

    matter m pl or f pl

    1. indefinite plural of matte (Etymology 1)

    Norwegian Nynorsk

    Noun

    matter f pl

    1. indefinite plural of matte (Etymology 1)
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