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materially

American  
[muh-teer-ee-uh-lee] / məˈtɪər i ə li /

adverb

  1. to an important degree; considerably.

    Their endorsement didn't help materially.

  2. with reference to matter or material things and conditions; physically.

  3. Philosophy. with regard to matter or substance as distinguished from form.

materially British  
/ məˈtɪərɪəlɪ /

adverb

  1. to a significant extent; considerably

    his death alters the situation materially

  2. with respect to material objects

  3. philosophy with respect to substance as distinct from form

"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

Etymology

Origin of materially

1350–1400; Middle English. See material, -ly

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.

In commentary accompanying that decision, the central bank said events in the Middle East have materially altered the outlook and the balance of risks for inflation and economic growth in New Zealand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

“Our early trials of ChatGPT’s update are still rather clunky and not ideal. Consumers aren’t yet seeing a materially different path to purchase.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

What exactly is meant by “the underlying assessments“? How can they be “similar” when the results for the articles the study spotlighted are materially different?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

We have seen revenue accelerate materially in the past four quarters.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

“You are materially changed since we talked on this subject before.”

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

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.