a matter of
idiomDefinition of a matter of
1
—used to refer to a small amount It cooks in a matter of (a few) minutes.The crisis was resolved in a matter of a few hours.The ball was foul by a matter of inches.
2
—used to say that one thing results from or requires another Learning to ride a bicycle is a matter of practice.His success was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.It's only a matter of time before/until we catch him.
3
—used to explain the reason for something She insists on honesty as a matter of principle.All requests for free tickets are turned down as a matter of policy.