matters
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
An inflected form of matter · plural.
How often you will meet it
Rank 991 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 18,507 times across 155,370 chapters — 0.009% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 1,000 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
noun
- a vaguely specified concern also: affair, thing several matters to attend toit is none of your affair
- some situation or event that is thought about also: topic, subject, issue he kept drifting off the topiche had been thinking about the subject for several years
- that which has mass and occupies space physicists study both the nature of matter and the forces which govern it
- a problem is anything the matter?
- (used with negation) having consequence they were friends and it was no matter who won the games
- written works (especially in books or magazines) he always took some reading matter with him on the plane
matters in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Now, I think I have arranged matters fairly well.
Punch — Volume 101, November 7, 1891 · Various · Chapter 1
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It is one on which anybody interested in such matters can form an individual judgment.
The Mahatma and the Hare: A Dream Story · H. Rider (Henry Rider) Haggard · Chapter 1
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And the Queen promised faithfully to obey her royal lord and master in these four matters.
The Yellow Fairy Book: The Grateful Beasts · World Traditions (Celtic, Norse, Asian & Persian) · Chapter 1
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Such a man, of course, is not without knowledge on the matters of which he speaks.
Punch — Volume 99, August 16, 1890 · Various · Chapter 1
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But towards the end of the following week, matters had commenced to quiet down; and Gilberte learned the return of Marius.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1