Definitions for Matter
ˈmæt ərMat·ter

Princeton's WordNet(2.59 / 14 votes)Rate this definition:

1. matter, affair, thing(noun)

   a vaguely specified concern

   "several matters to attend to"; "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well"

2. topic, subject, issue, matter(noun)

   some situation or event that is thought about

   "he kept drifting off the topic"; "he had been thinking about the subject for several years"; "it is a matter for the police"

3. matter(noun)

   that which has mass and occupies space

   "physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it"

4. matter(noun)

   a problem

   "is anything the matter?"

5. matter(noun)

   (used with negation) having consequence

   "they were friends and it was no matter who won the games"

6. matter(verb)

   written works (especially in books or magazines)

   "he always took some reading matter with him on the plane"

7. count, matter, weigh(verb)

   have weight; have import, carry weight

   "It does not matter much"

Wiktionary(3.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. matter(Noun)

   The basic structural component of the universe. Matter usually has mass and volume.

2. matter(Noun)

   Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles. (Non-antimatter matter).

3. matter(Noun)

   A kind of substance.

   vegetable matter

4. matter(Noun)

   A condition, subject or affair, especially one of concern.

5. matter(Noun)

   An approximate amount or extent.

   a matter of months; a matter of knowledge.

6. matter(Noun)

   Written material (especially in books or magazines)

   He always took some reading matter with him on the plane

7. matter(Noun)

   Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substance.

8. matter(Verb)

   To be important.

9. matter(Verb)

   To care about, to mind; to find important.

Origin: From mater, from materie, from materie, from materia (matter, stuff, material), derivative of Latin mater "mother". Displaced native andweorc (from andweorc), intinga.

Webster Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Matter(noun)

   that of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of anything; the constituent elements of conception; that into which a notion may be analyzed; the essence; the pith; the embodiment

2. Matter(noun)

   that of which the sensible universe and all existent bodies are composed; anything which has extension, occupies space, or is perceptible by the senses; body; substance

3. Matter(noun)

   that with regard to, or about which, anything takes place or is done; the thing aimed at, treated of, or treated; subject of action, discussion, consideration, feeling, complaint, legal action, or the like; theme

4. Matter(noun)

   that which one has to treat, or with which one has to do; concern; affair; business

5. Matter(noun)

   affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance; significance; moment; -- chiefly in the phrases what matter ? no matter, and the like

6. Matter(noun)

   inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble

7. Matter(noun)

   amount; quantity; portion; space; -- often indefinite

8. Matter(noun)

   substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent substance

9. Matter(noun)

   that which is permanent, or is supposed to be given, and in or upon which changes are effected by psychological or physical processes and relations; -- opposed to form

10. Matter(noun)

    written manuscript, or anything to be set in type; copy; also, type set up and ready to be used, or which has been used, in printing

11. Matter(verb)

    to be of importance; to import; to signify

12. Matter(verb)

    to form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate

13. Matter(verb)

    to regard as important; to take account of; to care for

Origin: [OE. matere, F. matire, fr. L. materia; perh. akin to L. mater mother. Cf. Mother, Madeira, Material.]

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Matter

   Matter is a poorly-defined term in science. The term has often been used in reference to a substance that has rest mass. Matter is also used loosely as a general term for the substance that makes up all observable physical objects. All objects we see with the naked eye are composed of atoms. This atomic matter is in turn made up of interacting subatomic particles—usually a nucleus of protons and neutrons, and a cloud of orbiting electrons. Typically, science considers these composite particles matter because they have both rest mass and volume. By contrast, massless particles, such as photons, are not considered matter, because they have neither rest mass nor volume. However, not all particles with rest mass have a classical volume, since fundamental particles such as quarks and leptons are considered "point particles" with no effective size or volume. Nevertheless, quarks and leptons together make up "ordinary matter," and their interactions contribute to the effective volume of the composite particles that make up ordinary matter. Matter commonly exists in four states: solid, liquid and gas, and plasma. . However, advances in experimental techniques have revealed other previously theoretical phases, such as Bose–Einstein condensates and fermionic condensates. A focus on an elementary-particle view of matter also leads to new phases of matter, such as the quark–gluon plasma. For much of the history of the natural sciences people have contemplated the exact nature of matter. The idea that matter was built of discrete building blocks, the so-called particulate theory of matter, was first put forward by the Greek philosophers Leucippus and Democritus.²²

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Matter

   mat′ėr, n. that which occupies space, and with which we become acquainted by our bodily senses: that out of which anything is made: that which receiving a form becomes a substance: the subject or thing treated of: anything engaging the attention: that with which one has to do: cause of a thing: thing of consequence: something requiring remedy or explanation: any special allegation in law: importance: a measure, &c., of indefinite amount: (print.) material for work, type set up: mere dead substance, that which is thrown off by a living body, esp. pus, or the fluid in boils, tumours, and festering sores.—v.i. to be of importance: to signify: to form or discharge matter in a sore:—pr.p. matt′ering; pa.p. matt′ered.—adjs. Matt′erful, full of matter, pithy; Matt′erless; Matt′er-of-fact, adhering to the matter of fact: not fanciful: dry; Matt′ery, significant: purulent.—Matter of course, occurring in natural time and order, as a thing to be expected; Matter of fact, really happening and not fanciful or supposed: not wandering beyond realities. [O. Fr. matiere—L. materia, matter.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. matter

   That with regard to which anything takes place,—the subject of action, complaint, discussion, legal action, or the like. A word used in reference to courts-martial. The specific charges which are brought against a prisoner, and to which the court must strictly confine itself. Also applied to the evidence before a legal tribunal. New matter is new evidence not before considered.

Editors Contribution(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. matter

   A type and form of energy, color, consciousness, genes, data, information, light and frequency.

   The matter within a building is very important.

   Submitted by MaryC on January 13, 2020  

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. matter

   Song lyrics by matter -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by matter on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Matter' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #581

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Matter' in Written Corpus Frequency: #593

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Matter' in Nouns Frequency: #122

4. Verbs Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'Matter' in Verbs Frequency: #387

How to pronounce Matter?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say Matter in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Matter in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Matter in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Matter in a Sentence

1. Emeasoba George:

   Live to leave behind you positive legacies that will outlive you. Because surely, you will be gone someday, no matter who/what/where you are currently. Oh! Yes, no human lives forever including you. As a matter of fact, we all are here (on earth) for a while. Now, I guess that is a reasonable reason why you should strive to leave behind you positive legacies that will be speaking for you, for years/forever after your demise.

2. Xu Hong:

   We can see so many countries coming to the fore hyping this issue up, but it doesn't matter how loud their voices are, they still represent a minority of countries in the world, if you look at who is talking about international law all the time, it is politicians and non-professionals with ulterior motives. It is them who really need to learn something about international law.

3. Will Rogers:

   On account of us being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.

4. Ruchel Louis Coetzee:

   Carmen is the embodiment of being able to do anything you want no matter what age you are, she defies age.

5. Bernie Sanders:

   No matter your party or political ideology, this is a sad day for America. Nancy Reagan was an exemplary first lady, a devoted partner, she was her husband's most trusted adviser and, as such, served our country well. Even after her time in the White House, she was an outspoken advocate for stem-cell research to find a cure for Alzheimer's. Nancy Reagan had a good heart, and she will be dearly missed.

Images & Illustrations of Matter

Popularity rank by frequency of use