scandalous matter
scandalous matter. Civil procedure. A matter that is both grossly disgraceful (or defamatory) and irrelevant to the action or defense. • A federal court — upon a party’s motion or on its own — can order a scandalous matter struck from a pleading. Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(f). Cf. IMPERTINENT MATTER. [Cases: Federal Civil Procedure 1127; Pleading 364(4). C.J.S. Pleading § 683.]