raw material

American  

noun

1. material before being processed or manufactured into a final form.

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raw material British  

noun

1. material on which a particular manufacturing process is carried out

2. a person or thing regarded as suitable for some particular purpose

   raw material for the army

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Etymology

Origin of raw material

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

raw material

As with locations and production design, Ellis’ novel provided much of the raw material the costume department needed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026

The material is difficult to shape, expensive to produce, and often requires more raw material than ultimately ends up in the finished component.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

On the demand side, hot metal output has declined for consecutive weeks, while steelmakers’ profitability has deteriorated, prompting mills to take a cautious approach to raw material purchases, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

"But we are actively in discussion with paper manufacturers about how they can produce a raw material in a way that makes it easy to bond."

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

In later years she regretted not being more factual, not providing herself with a store of raw material.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan