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

The matter-of-fact email comes as the Trump campaign is publicly projecting confidence, and promoting any polls that show Trump defeating Vice President Harris handily. —Sophia Cai, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024

Chimp Crazy, while mostly matter-of-fact in its approach, spends much of its time highlighting Haddix’s many lies and the way her love for Tonka clouds her ability to understand that keeping him in a basement is not what’s best for him. —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2024

What works for a three-minute single, however, isn’t easily stretched out to 90 minutes, and what is mysterious and evocative or evasive or ironic in a song can be dully matter-of-fact on the screen. —Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 23 Oct. 2024

Though Gotham stories are always primed for whimsical plot twists, there’s a matter-of-fact quality to Folie à Deux that is likely going to come as a disappointment to fans expecting theatrical bombast. —Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1712, in the meaning defined above

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