raw material
Americannoun
noun
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material on which a particular manufacturing process is carried out
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a person or thing regarded as suitable for some particular purpose
raw material for the army
Etymology
Origin of raw material
First recorded in 1790–1800
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.
"Kombucha is a very good example of a product in which chemical composition, biological activity, and sensory profile result from complex interactions between the raw material and fermentative microorganisms."
From Science Daily • Jun. 23, 2026
Because gas is the raw material needed to make new stars, such outflows could significantly reduce future star formation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 19, 2026
"Our raw material, our gold, our copper, goes to other countries... we are experiencing misery."
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
"If this continues, the impact will be sustained inflation due to rising production and raw material costs," Teuku told AFP.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
We were just another raw material, waiting to be processed.
From "Prisoner B-3087" by Alan Gratz
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.
