matter of fact

See synonyms for matter of fact on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. something of a factual nature, as an actual occurrence.

  2. Law. a statement or allegation to be judged on the basis of the evidence.

Origin of matter of fact

1
First recorded in 1575–85

Other definitions for matter-of-fact (2 of 2)

matter-of-fact
[ mat-er-uhv-fakt ]

adjective
  1. adhering strictly to fact; not imaginative; prosaic; dry; commonplace: a matter-of-fact account of the political rally.

  2. direct or unemotional; straightforward; down-to-earth.

Origin of matter-of-fact

2
First recorded in1705–15

Other words from matter-of-fact

  • matter-of-factly, adverb
  • matter-of-factness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for matter of fact

matter of fact

noun
  1. a fact that is undeniably true

  2. law a statement of facts the truth of which the court must determine on the basis of the evidence before it: Compare matter of law

  1. philosophy a proposition that is amenable to empirical testing, as contrasted with the truths of logic or mathematics

  2. as a matter of fact actually; in fact

adjectivematter-of-fact
  1. unimaginative or emotionless: he gave a matter-of-fact account of the murder

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012