material

[ muh-teer-ee-uhl ]
See synonyms for: materialmaterialsmaterialness on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the substance or substances of which a thing is made or composed: Stone is a durable material.

  2. anything that serves as crude or raw matter to be used or developed: Wood pulp is the raw material from which paper is made.

  1. any constituent element.

  2. a textile fabric: material for a dress.

  3. 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.

  4. materials, the articles or apparatus needed to make or do something: writing materials.

  5. a person considered as having qualities suited to a particular sphere of activity: The boy's teachers did not think he was college material.

adjective
  1. formed or consisting of matter; physical; corporeal: the material world.

  2. relating to, concerned with, or involving matter: material forces.

  1. pertaining to the physical rather than the spiritual or intellectual aspect of things: material comforts.

  2. pertaining to or characterized by an undue interest in corporeal things; unspiritual.

  3. 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.

  4. of substantial import; of much consequence; important: Your support will make a material difference in the success of our program.

  5. pertinent or essential (usually followed by to): a question not material to the subject at hand.

  6. Law. likely to influence the determination of a case: material evidence.

  7. Philosophy. of or relating to matter as distinguished from form.

Origin of material

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Late Latin māteriālis “of, belonging to matter,” equivalent to māteri(a) “woody part of a tree, substance” (see matter) + -ālis -al1

synonym study For material

1. See matter.

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

Words Nearby material

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use material in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for material

material

/ (məˈtɪərɪəl) /


noun
  1. the substance of which a thing is made or composed; component or constituent matter: raw material

  2. facts, notes, etc, that a finished work may be based on or derived from: enough material for a book

  1. cloth or fabric

  2. a person who has qualities suitable for a given occupation, training, etc: that boy is not university material

adjective
  1. of, relating to, or composed of physical substance; corporeal

  2. philosophy composed of or relating to physical as opposed to mental or spiritual substance: the material world

  1. of, relating to, or affecting economic or physical wellbeing: material ease

  2. of or concerned with physical rather than spiritual interests

  3. of great import or consequence: of material benefit to the workers

  4. (often foll by to) relevant

  5. philosophy of or relating to matter as opposed to form

  6. law relevant to the issue before court: applied esp to facts or testimony of much significance: a material witness

Origin of material

1
C14: via French from Late Latin māteriālis, from Latin māteria matter

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