matter-of-fact

adjective

mat·​ter-of-fact ˌma-tər-ə(v)-ˈfakt 

: adhering to the unembellished facts

also : being plain, straightforward, or unemotional

matter-of-factly

ˌma-tər-ə(v)-ˈfak(t)-lē 

adverb

matter-of-factness

ˌma-tər-ə(v)-ˈfak(t)-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• factual
• historical
• literal
• documentary
• true
• nonfictional

Examples of matter-of-fact in a Sentence

a matter-of-fact recitation of the events of the last week

a matter-of-fact woman who didn't worry about "what ifs"

Recent Examples on the Web

The big news came in the middle of August, and although the USLTA announced it in a very matter-of-fact fashion, there was nothing matter of fact about it to me. —Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025

Tamsin, matter-of-fact, pulls on her dress and retrieves her swimsuit. —Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025

By this third round of significant hair loss, her approach had shifted from emotional to matter-of-fact. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025

Altman and lesser personalities in the AI space often talk this way, making extreme, matter-of-fact proclamations about the future and sounding like kids playing a strategy game. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for matter-of-fact

• overreact
• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked

Kids Definition

matter-of-fact

adjective

mat·​ter-of-fact

ˌmat-ə-rə(v)-ˈfakt

: sticking to fact

a matter-of-fact account

also : being plain, straightforward, or unemotional

described the accident in a matter-of-fact way

matter-of-factly

-ˈfak-(t)lē

adverb

Legal Definition

matter of fact

see matter