Meaning of 'matter' (Webster Dictionary)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- That which one has to treat, or with which one has to do;
concern; affair; business.
- Affair worthy of account; thing of consequence; importance;
significance; moment; -- chiefly in the phrases what matter ? no
matter, and the like.
- Inducing cause or occasion, especially of anything
disagreeable or distressing; difficulty; trouble.
- Amount; quantity; portion; space; -- often indefinite.
- Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is
thrown out or discharged in a tumor, boil, or abscess; pus; purulent
substance.
- 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.
- 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.
- To be of importance; to import; to signify.
- To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate.
- To regard as important; to take account of; to care for.
Meaning of 'matter' (Princeton's WordNet)
Meaning (1):
- written works (especially in books or magazines)
Example in sentence:- he always took some reading matter with him on the plane
Meaning (2):
- some situation or event that is thought about
Example in sentence:- he had been thinking about the subject for several years;
- he kept drifting off the topic;
- it is a matter for the police
Meaning (3):
- a problem
Meaning (4):
- a vaguely specified concern
Example in sentence:- it is none of your affair;
- several matters to attend to;
- things are going well
Meaning (5):
- that which has mass and occupies space
Example in sentence:- physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it
Meaning (6):
- (used with negation) having consequence
Example in sentence:- they were friends and it was no matter who won the games
Meaning (7):
- have weight; have import, carry weight
Definition
[ n.]