material
the substance or substances of which a thing is made or composed: Stone is a durable material.
anything that serves as crude or raw matter to be used or developed: Wood pulp is the raw material from which paper is made.
any constituent element.
a textile fabric: material for a dress.
a group of ideas, facts, data, etc., that may provide the basis for or be incorporated into some integrated work: to gather material for a history of North Carolina;to write material for a comedy show.
materials, the articles or apparatus needed to make or do something: writing materials.
a person considered as having qualities suited to a particular sphere of activity: The boy's teachers did not think he was college material.
formed or consisting of matter; physical; corporeal: the material world.
relating to, concerned with, or involving matter: material forces.
pertaining to the physical rather than the spiritual or intellectual aspect of things: material comforts.
pertaining to or characterized by an undue interest in corporeal things; unspiritual.
characterized by an overriding interest in wealth and possessions and the consumption of luxury goods and services: You could probably call him a material guy, as he’s had expensive tastes and a lust for fashion from the time he was a kid.
of substantial import; of much consequence; important: Your support will make a material difference in the success of our program.
pertinent or essential (usually followed by to): a question not material to the subject at hand.
Law. likely to influence the determination of a case: material evidence.
Philosophy. of or relating to matter as distinguished from form.
Origin of material
1synonym study For material
Other words for material
Opposites for material
Other words from material
- ma·te·ri·al·ness, noun
- pre·ma·te·ri·al, adjective
- qua·si-ma·te·ri·al, adjective
- qua·si-ma·te·ri·al·ly, adverb
- su·per·ma·te·ri·al, noun
- trans·ma·te·ri·al, adjective
- un·ma·te·ri·al, adjective
- un·ma·te·ri·al·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with material
- material , matériel
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use material in a sentence
If it had anywhere an actual nucleus, that centre remained as impalpable and unmaterial as fox-fire.
The Roof Tree | Charles Neville Buck
British Dictionary definitions for material
/ (məˈtɪərɪəl) /
the substance of which a thing is made or composed; component or constituent matter: raw material
facts, notes, etc, that a finished work may be based on or derived from: enough material for a book
cloth or fabric
a person who has qualities suitable for a given occupation, training, etc: that boy is not university material
of, relating to, or composed of physical substance; corporeal
philosophy composed of or relating to physical as opposed to mental or spiritual substance: the material world
of, relating to, or affecting economic or physical wellbeing: material ease
of or concerned with physical rather than spiritual interests
of great import or consequence: of material benefit to the workers
(often foll by to) relevant
philosophy of or relating to matter as opposed to form
law relevant to the issue before court: applied esp to facts or testimony of much significance: a material witness
Origin of material
1- See also materials
Derived forms of material
- materialness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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