matter of record

noun

A fact or statement that is recorded in governmental records or in publications.

Meanings

nounmatter of record (plural matters of record)

plural matters of record

  1. A fact or statement that is recorded in governmental records or in publications.

    This has now been privately printed and deposited in several of the leading libraries as a matter of record.

    1920, “Memoirs of Capt. Andrew Talcott”, in Engineering News-record, volume 85, page 805
    4 more examples

    When Dick Larkin asked to see his credentials, the inspector not only produced them, but gave the owner's name and the county in which the brand was a matter of record.

    1906, Andy Adams, The Story of a Poker Steer

    It is a matter of record in history that asphalt was used in the construction of a highway in Peru, being built by prehistoric races.

    1905, The Inland Architect and News Record, volume 45, page 65

    Indeed, African American history, like all history, remains as much a matter of argument as a matter of record.

    2004, John Ernest, Liberation Historiography: African American Writers and the Challenge of History, 1794-1861, page 1

    My feelings about share buybacks in an R&D driven industry like this one have been a matter of record for some time, for all the good that does.

    2018 February 27, Derek Lowe, “Business and Markets: Where’s All That Money Going? (Pharma Edition)”, in Science Translational Medicine
  2. lawA fact that is contained within court files or has otherwise been entered into evidence before the court.
Cite this entry
APA

matter of record. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matter%20of%20record

MLA

“matter of record.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matter%20of%20record. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “matter of record,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/matter%20of%20record.

Source: matter of record on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.