MEANING
Treating something plainly and practically, without showing strong emotion or surprise.
Use it for
calm reporting of an alarming event; ordinary language about a painful subject; understated dialogue
Words that belong together
- a matter-of-fact tone
- a matter-of-fact account
On the page
His matter-of-fact account of the escape unsettled her more than any dramatic retelling.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- matter-of-fact
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Comparative more matter-of-fact; superlative most matter-of-fact when comparison is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: description, character. Commonness: moderately common.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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