- 1
Material; substance.; Anything with mass and volume.countableuncountable
- 2
Material; substance.; Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles.countableuncountable
- 3
Material; substance.; A kind of substance.countableuncountable
- vegetable matter
- 4
Material; substance.; Printed material, especially in books or magazines.countableuncountable
- He always took some reading matter with him on the plane.
- 5
Material; substance.; Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.countableuncountable
- 6
An affair, condition, or subject, especially one of concern or (especially when preceded by the) one that is problematic.countableuncountable
- Something is the matter with him.
- I have no religion: it is a matter of indifference to me.
- 7
An approximate amount or extent.countableuncountable
- I stayed for a matter of months.
- 8
Legal services provided by a lawyer or firm to their client in relation to a particular issue.countable
- Please find attached an invoice for three outstanding matters.
- 9
Essence; pith; embodiment.countableobsoleteuncountable
- He is the matter of virtue.
- 10
(The) inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing.countableobsoleteuncountable
- And this is the matter why interpreters upon that passage in Hosea will not consent it to be a true story, that the prophet took a harlot to wife.
syn. material · stuff · substance · hyle