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

• documentary
• factual
• hard
• historical
• literal
• nonfictional
• objective
• true

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

Yet to the rest of the Mountain West on deck, to the Pac-12 teams waiting in the hole, Jacobson also offered a warning in those quiet, dry, matter-of-fact North Dakota tones. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 30 Mar. 2025

As the film opens, a matter-of-fact, unemotional voice shares statistics about children living with poverty, parental abuse and alcoholism in the United States, as the numbers flash in simple white text on a black screen. —Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 30 Mar. 2025

The general public’s reaction was matter-of-fact acceptance. —Gqlshare, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025

The 28-year-old’s matter-of-fact response is backed by an impressive resume. —James Boyd, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 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