a matter of
idiom
1
—used to refer to a small amount
It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.
The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.
The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another
Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.
His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something
She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.
All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.
Examples of a matter of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grant Ellis just went from snubbed Bachelorette suitor to Bachelor leading man in a matter of minutes.
—
Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2024
By Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — In a matter of days, the easygoing vibe of summer break will be replaced with the rigid schedules of a new school year.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2024
Additionally, whereas the shuttle had a limited lifetime in orbit due to fuel cells and other consumables, mission managers have the luxury of studying Starliner's issues not over a matter of days but over weeks and even months.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 12 Aug. 2024
None of this has stopped X from portraying its plummeting ad revenue as a matter of criminal injustice.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for a matter of 
Rebecca Iannucci, TVLine, 12 Aug. 2024
By Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times LOS ANGELES — In a matter of days, the easygoing vibe of summer break will be replaced with the rigid schedules of a new school year.
—Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 12 Aug. 2024
Additionally, whereas the shuttle had a limited lifetime in orbit due to fuel cells and other consumables, mission managers have the luxury of studying Starliner's issues not over a matter of days but over weeks and even months.
—Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 12 Aug. 2024
None of this has stopped X from portraying its plummeting ad revenue as a matter of criminal injustice.
—Whizy Kim, Vox, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for a matter of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'a matter of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near a matter of
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“A matter of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20matter%20of. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
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