noun
Matrix
noun
1
A grid of numbers or values arranged in rows and columns, used in mathematics and computing.
"The software solved the equations by manipulating a large matrix."
2
An environment or structure within which something else develops or is embedded.
"The fossil was found in a matrix of hardened sediment."
3
A simulated or artificial reality, especially one used to control or deceive those inside it (a sense popularized by science fiction).
"In the film, the characters slowly realize their entire world is just a matrix."
How to Use Matrix
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA structured grid of numbers, or more broadly, the underlying structure or setting something exists within.
Common pairings
a matrix of
skills matrix
decision matrix
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The software solved the equations by manipulating a large _____.
Etymology
From Latin mātrix, "breeding animal, womb," from māter, "mother" — the idea of a structure that other things grow or are formed within. The science-fiction sense was popularized by the 1999 film The Matrix.