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Synonyms

raw material

American  

noun

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


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

"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.

In these circumstances, it must be absolutely impossible to manage a business that depends on importing raw materials or components, let alone finished products, from overseas.

From MarketWatch

Much of the rest of the world remained locked into exporting raw materials.

From Barron's

Addressing the Summit, Modi said there was a need to share technology "so that humans don't just become a data point for AI or remain a raw material for AI".

From BBC

The industry source told AFP that the need to import raw materials, the high energy costs and limited infrastructure mean the country cannot be entirely self-sufficient in medicine production.

From Barron's

The role of universities and transport investment is also critical, but not every town and city in the UK has the same raw materials, for example in terms of sheer number of young graduates.

From BBC