raw material
Americannoun
noun
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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.
Excluding crude energy products, the raw material price index increased 1.4% for the month and 22.9% from a year earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026
"Our raw material, our gold, our copper, goes to other countries... we are experiencing misery."
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
On Tuesday, Israel's state comptroller released a scathing report accusing successive governments of neglecting domestic weapons production and failing to maintain critical raw material reserves.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
However, Repsol said it booked a 361 million-euro impairment in its chemicals unit as rising prices for raw material like naphtha and propane as well as supply constraints have further compressed margins.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
With any luck, the territory would contain flint, jasper, or chalcedony, the raw material for spear points, meat scrapers, and other hunting tools.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
