- an event or result that is natural or inevitable
- (usually postpositive) occurring as a matter of course
- accepting things as inevitable or natural: a matter-of-course attitude
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
mat′ter of course′,
mat•ter-of-course (mat′ər əv kôrs′, -kōrs′),USA pronunciation adj.
- something that follows in logical, natural, or customary sequence or that is treated as such:After such reprisals, war followed as a matter of course.
- 1730–40
mat•ter-of-course (mat′ər əv kôrs′, -kōrs′),USA pronunciation adj.
- occurring or proceeding in or as if in the logical, natural, or customary course of things;
expected or inevitable. - accepting things as occurring in their natural course, or characterized by an acceptance of things as such:to be matter-of-course in confronting the difficulties of existence.
- 1830–40
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
matter of course n matter-of-course
'matter of course' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):