raw material

noun

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

raw material

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of raw material¹

First recorded in 1790–1800

Example Sentences

The company had planned to build a refinery at the Saltend Chemicals Plant near Hull, which would have processed the raw materials into metals used to create powerful magnets.

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Moving up the so-called "value chain" -- switching from producing raw materials to transforming them into finished products -- is a key step in any country's economic development, economists say.

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They also highlight central Italy as an important region for understanding how early Europeans obtained food and raw materials.

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However, it doesn’t buy enough magnets to sustain a full plant, so it has historically relied on magnet suppliers from Japan and Europe, which in turn rely, in part, on Chinese raw materials.

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China’s tightened grip will have ripple effects for the auto industry, as these raw materials are crucial for producing computer chips, brakes, seats and other critical vehicle components, they add.

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