raw material
Americannoun
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
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.
It helps, I’ve found, to think about it less as “leftovers” and more as raw material.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
The closure, which began after the United States and Israel launched strikes on February 28, has also affected raw material costs and disrupted global shipping.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Data from the national data agency similarly showed a surge in raw material costs for Canadian companies in March, largely thanks to increased prices for crude energy products.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026
Another social media user has reported that the textile company where their sister-in-law worked has fired 600 out of their 650 personnel, as they cannot import raw material from Australia anymore.
From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026
At first, soldiers were called on to provide the raw material, but such an arrangement was hardly conducive to industrial-scale production.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
