{
    "term": "matter",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "used (to ask) if somebody is upset, unhappy, etc. or if there is a problem",
            "sensetop": "matter with somebody/something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "**What's the matter?** Is there something wrong?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Is **anything the matter**?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Is **something the matter** with Bob? He seems very down.",
                    "contextForm": "matter with somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "There's something the matter with my eyes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘We've bought a new TV.’ ‘What was the matter with the old one?’"
                },
                {
                    "text": "**What's the matter with you** today *(= why are you behaving like this)*?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "What on earth was the matter with her, she wondered. She’d come here to enjoy herself and here she was, stuck on her own in the hotel."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a subject or situation that you must consider or deal with",
            "sensetop": "matter for somebodymatter of something",
            "labels": "(formal)(ironic)",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's a private matter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They had important matters to discuss."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She may need your help with some business matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "financial/legal/political matters"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They've agreed in theory, but now we need to discuss practical matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The matter should be referred to a senior manager."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do I have any choice in the matter?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I always consulted him on matters of policy."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's a matter for the police *(= for them to deal with)*.",
                    "contextForm": "matter for somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was a matter of some concern to most of those present *(= something they were worried about)*.",
                    "contextForm": "matter of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It should have been a simple matter to check."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It was **no easy matter** getting him to change his mind."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let's get on with the **matter in hand** *(= what we need to deal with now)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wasn't prepared to **let the matter drop** *(= stop discussing it)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We have sent these concerns to Professor Tribe, and now **consider the matter closed** *(= it is finished)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I did not feel that we had got to **the heart of the matter** *(= the most important part)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "And that is **the crux of the matter** *(= the most important thing about the situation)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "And then there's **the little matter** of the fifty pounds you owe me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The involvement of the king in legal matters was threatened by the civil war."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Dr Bell holds traditional views on a variety of matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That's a matter for you to take up with your boss."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He left, saying he had pressing matters to attend to."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His lawyer advised him to drop the matter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't have much experience in these matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't really want to go into this matter now."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is then a simple matter to print off the data you have collected."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's a relief to have the matter settled."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was a great source of knowledge on matters relating to nutrition."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The matter will be raised at our next meeting."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The question of his innocence is a weighty matter for this court."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The rest of the meeting was taken up by routine matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They talk mostly about work and related matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wasn't sure how to approach the delicate matter of pay."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "affair",
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["important", "pressing", "serious"],
                "verb + matter": ["bring up", "broach", "raise"],
                "matter + verb": ["be related to", "pertain to", "relate to"],
                "preposition": ["in a/​the matter", "on a/​the matter", "matter for"],
                "phrases": [
                    "the crux of the matter",
                    "the heart of the matter",
                    "let the matter drop"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "the present situation, or the situation that you are talking about",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do to improve matters."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I'd forgotten the keys, which didn't **help matters**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "And then, **to make matters worse**, his parents turned up."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I decided to **take matters into my own hands** *(= deal with the situation myself)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "**Matters came to a head** *(= the situation became very difficult)* with his resignation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Matters were made worse by a fire in the warehouse."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let me simplify matters by giving you my answer now."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She always arranges matters to suit herself."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "things",
            "collocations": {
                "verb + matters": ["complicate", "confuse", "make worse"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "a situation that involves something or depends on something",
            "sensetop": "matter of somethingmatter of doing something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Learning to drive is all a matter of coordination.",
                    "contextForm": "matter of something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some people prefer the older version to the new one. It's **a matter of taste**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She resigned over **a matter of principle**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The government must deal with this **as a matter of urgency**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Just **as a matter of interest** *(= because it is interesting, not because it is important)*, how much did you pay for it?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘I think this is the best so far.’ ‘Well, that's **a matter of opinion** *(= other people may think differently)*.’"
                },
                {
                    "text": "It's not pure fantasy ! It's a plain **matter of fact**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Getting the effect you want is a matter of trial and error."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That's not a problem. It's **simply a matter of** letting people know in time.",
                    "contextForm": "matter of doing something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Planning a project is just a matter of working out the right order to do things in."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "question"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "physical substance that everything in the world is made of; not mind or spirit",
            "labels": "(physics)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to study the properties of matter"
                },
                {
                    "text": "This swirling mass of energy and matter is classed as a spiral galaxy."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Physics and chemistry"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["solid", "organic", "vegetable"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "a substance or things of a particular sort",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Add plenty of organic matter to improve the soil."
                },
                {
                    "text": "elimination of **waste matter** from the body"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She didn't approve of their choice of **reading matter**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There were small lumps of matter floating on the surface."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["solid", "organic", "vegetable"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "used to add a comment on something that you have just said, usually adding something that you think the other person will be interested in",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's a nice place. We've stayed there ourselves, as a matter of fact."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "used to disagree with something that somebody has just said",
            "cefr": "c1",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "‘I suppose you'll be leaving soon, then?’ ‘No, as a matter of fact I'll be staying for another two years.’"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "actually",
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be very different",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I know which area they live in, but whether I can find their house is a different matter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That's a whole different matter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I don't mind lizards, but snakes are a different matter."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be something serious that you should not joke about",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to emphasize a statement, especially one that is the opposite of what has just been mentioned",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A new car would be wonderful but the fact of the matter is that we can't afford one."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to add a comment on something that you have just said",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I didn't like it much. Nor did the kids, for that matter."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Opinion and argument"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that something will definitely happen, although you are not sure when",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Doubt, guessing and certainty"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "(as) the usual and correct thing to do",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We always check people's addresses as a matter of course."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "only a few hours, minutes, etc.",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It was all over in a matter of minutes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The bullet missed her by a matter of inches."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to describe a situation that is very important or serious",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You mustn't let anyone know— it's a matter of life and death."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These talks are a matter of life or death for the factory."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Delivering on time is a matter of life and death for a small company."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "something that has been recorded as being true",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that something is not important",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "If that doesn't work out, no matter, I'll rent for another year or two."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that something is always true, whatever the situation is, or that somebody should certainly do something",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "They don't last long no matter how careful you are."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Call me when you get there, no matter what the time is."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈmætə(r)/",
                "audio": "ma/matter/matter__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈmætər/",
                "audio": "ma/matter/matter__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English: via Old French from Latin materia ‘timber, substance’, also ‘subject of discourse’, from mater ‘mother’."
}