matter of fact

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"matter-of-fact" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“matter of fact” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An issue concerning the factual circumstances of a cause of action that is to be tried or proved; an allegation forming the basis of a claim or defense, as opposed to a matter of law.

Key facts for matter of fact
PropertyValue
Headwordmatter of fact
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “matter of fact” sits in English frequency

matter of fact falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

matter of fact is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for matter of fact, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the 16th century. The correct English form is matter of fact, spelled M-A-T-T-E-R- -O-F- -F-A-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An issue concerning the factual circumstances of a cause of action that is to be tried or proved; an allegation forming the basis of a claim or defense, as opposed to a matter of law.
  2. 2
    A point of fact; a claim or statement about (empirical) facts, as opposed to conjecture or opinion.

Etymology

First attested in the 16th century.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "matter of fact"?
"matter of fact" is spelled M-A-T-T-E-R- -O-F- -F-A-C-T.
What does "matter of fact" mean?
As a noun, "matter of fact" means: An issue concerning the factual circumstances of a cause of action that is to be tried or proved; an allegation forming the basis of a claim or defense, as opposed to a matter of law.
What is the origin of the word "matter of fact"?
First attested in the 16th century. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “matter of fact”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is M-A-T-T-E-R- -O-F- -F-A-C-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list