raw material

American

noun

material before being processed or manufactured into a final form.

raw material British

noun

material on which a particular manufacturing process is carried out
a person or thing regarded as suitable for some particular purpose

raw material for the army

"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 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.

Reputedly, he destroyed hundreds of his own negatives, and the celluloid was melted down -- and some of it used as raw material to make soldiers' boots during World War I.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

They also further damaged its enrichment program, taking out a site for making yellowcake—the raw material that can be turned into enriched uranium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

“We think that raw material issues are likely to cause some earnings growth uncertainties,” Zekauskas wrote in a note to clients.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

Fuel and raw material shortages, chronic underinvestment and nationalisations have hollowed out the local economy.

From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026

“The Chancellor couldn’t think of anything specific for me to do,” she chirps in a high squeaky voice, “so I will be looking for raw material for nanotech. Do you know anything about carbon nanotubes?”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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