Agency Dictionary
Matrix
nounPronunciation: /ˈmeɪ.trɪks/
In Portuguese: Matrix
Digital Culture
Philosophy & EthicsWhat does “Matrix” mean?
An enclosing medium, grid, or systemic web of cultural and algorithmic conventions that shapes perceptions.
Etymology
From Latin matrix (womb, breeding female, source), derived from mater (mother). The word entered English through Old French matrice and Middle English, in the 14th to 15th centuries, initially in anatomical and biological senses. The mathematical sense, referring to a rectangular array of numbers, was introduced in the 19th century. Latin mater is cognate with English mother. The sense of an enclosing system that shapes what people perceive was spread by the 1999 film The Matrix.
Synonyms
- grid
- framework
Word family
- maternal
- matriarch
- matron
Usage examples
To go viral is to break the matrix and wake up in a tsunami of success.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
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- Discursiveadjective
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- Treatisenoun
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- Maximnoun
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- rhetoricnoun
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- Tangibleadjective
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- Holisticadjective
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- Abyssnoun
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- aestheticsnoun
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- Affectnoun
- An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
- Agapenoun
- A selfless, unconditional, and altruistic form of love often associated in theology with divine charity.
- Ambiguitynoun
- The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.
Also from these editions: terms
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- The degree of precision, correctness, and exactitude with which a message or action reaches its intended mark.
- Byproductnoun
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- Characternoun
- A metal block engraved with a letter used in letterpress printing, as well as the intrinsic moral quality and strength of a person.
- CPMnoun
- An acronym for cost per mille, representing the advertising cost of delivering one thousand audience impressions.
- Frequencynoun
- The regular rate at which an event occurs or a message is transmitted over a designated period.
- Hookahnoun
- A traditional water pipe of Middle Eastern origin used for smoking specially prepared flavored tobacco.
- Paddlenoun
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- Pamphletnoun
- A small, unbound printed booklet or leaflet intended for the mass dissemination of political, religious, or philosophical ideas.
- Singularitynoun
- The state, condition, or distinct quality of being singular, remarkable, and uniquely individual.
- Tsunaminoun
- A series of massive ocean waves caused by sudden displacement of water from undersea earthquakes, or metaphorically a sudden overwhelming influx of events.
- Undeniableadjective
- Manifestly true, valid, or high in quality to the point where it cannot be disputed, overlooked, or questioned.
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