noun
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the state or quality of being physical or material
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substance; matter
Etymology
Origin of materiality
From the Medieval Latin word māteriālitās, dating back to 1520–30. See material, -ity
Explanation
Materiality is the quality of a physical substance that you can actually feel. Seeing a fluffy beanbag chair online is one thing, but in-person, you can appreciate its materiality. Materiality is a complicated word with several definitions. One way to think of it is as "the quality of consisting of matter." Architects talk about the materiality of actual buildings constructed with materials (rather than images rendered on a computer). When anthropologists discuss the materiality of artifacts, they're talking about their physical properties. In law, on the other hand, materiality means "relevance" or "importance" — in other words, how much something matters.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Materiality can be an obstacle to defendants winning Brady appeals, but in a complicated factual case like the ones involving Trump, the materiality standard can be easier to meet.
From Slate • Aug. 25, 2023
"Materiality is a fairly low bar," said Cary Coglianese, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania who runs the university’s research program on regulation.
From Reuters • Mar. 23, 2017
Materiality finished sixth at Churchill Downs, never able to land a blow.
From The Guardian • Jun. 5, 2015
“I’d envision Materiality being close to the pace and Madefromlucky maybe in mid-pack,” he said.
From Washington Times • Jun. 3, 2015
Matter, this Vowel-Sound allies itself also with Matter or Materiality as contrasted with Spiritual Substance.
From The Continental Monthly, Vol 6, No 5, November 1864 Devoted To Literature And National Policy by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
