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

German steel giant Thyssenkrupp said Thursday that it was monitoring water levels in the Rhine and ready to respond if they drop further, after boat deliveries of raw material deliveries were disrupted.

From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026

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

"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

It was a bad habit, Mitchell Sanders said, because all that matters is the raw material, the stuff itself, and you can’t clutter it up with your own half-baked commentary.

From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien