Material Definition

mə-tîrē-əl
materials
noun
materials
What a thing is, or may be, made of; constituent substance; elements, parts, or constituents.
Raw material.
Webster's New World
Something, such as an idea or information, that is to be refined and made or incorporated into a finished effort.
Material for a comedy.
American Heritage
Ideas, notes, sketches, etc., that may be worked up or elaborated; data.
Webster's New World
Tools or apparatus for the performance of a given task.
Writing materials.
American Heritage
Cloth or other fabric.
Webster's New World
adjective
Of, relating to, or composed of matter.
American Heritage
Of matter; of substance; relating to or consisting of what occupies space; physical.
A material object, material forces.
Webster's New World
Of the body or bodily needs, satisfactions, etc.; corporeal, sensual, or sensuous.
Material pleasures.
Webster's New World
Of or fond of comfort, pleasure, wealth, etc. rather than spiritual or intellectual values; worldly.
Material success.
Webster's New World
Important, essential, or pertinent (to the matter under discussion)
Webster's New World
verb

(obsolete) To form from matter; to materialize.

Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Material

Noun

Singular:
material
Plural:
materials

Origin of Material

  • From Middle English material, from Late Latin materialis, from Latin materia "wood, material, substance" from mater "mother". Displaced native Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter") (from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material")).

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English consisting of matter, material from Old French from Late Latin māteriālis from Latin māteria matter māter- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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