materials science

American

noun

the study of the characteristics and uses of various materials, as glass, plastics, and metals.

Etymology

Origin of materials science

First recorded in 1960–65

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.

Beyond materials science, the technology is expected to have a profound impact on the financial and pharmaceutical sectors.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Amit Pathak, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the McKelvey School of Engineering, studies how cells interact with the physical properties of their surroundings.

From Science Daily • Mar. 16, 2026

Technologies developed for the experiment, such as advanced muonium production targets, low energy positron transport systems, and high resolution detectors, may also find uses in fields like materials science and medical research.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

This explains why most quantum research consists of some kind of modeling problem—and why quantum is expected to have an outsize impact in the areas of drug discovery and materials science.

From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026

This includes drug discovery, materials science, logistics optimization and breaking every password ever created.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023