What does "immaterial" mean?
A being or entity having no matter or substance.
Immaterial
/ˌɪ.məˈtɪə.ɹɪ.əl/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A being or entity having no matter or substance.
- Grammar: immaterial is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abstract, abstract entity, adrift, aerial.
- Useful contrasts: bodily aspect, bodily trait, carnal.
- Usage evidence: This data is immaterial to the argument.
How to use "immaterial"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "immaterial" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "immaterial" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "immaterial" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "immaterial" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "immaterial" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abstract" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "immaterial", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A being or entity having no matter or substance. countable, in-plural
- 2 A thing which is abstract or intangible; (uncountable) chiefly preceded by the: things which are abstract or intangible considered collectively. countable, in-plural
"Lodge immaterials in thy Head: aſcend unto inviſibles: fill thy Spirit vvith Spirituals, vvith the myſteries of Faith, the magnalities of Religion, and thy Life vvith the Honour of God; […]"
Adjective
- 1 Having no matter or substance; incorporeal.
"Some believe that because ghosts are immaterial, they can pass through walls."
- 2 Of the nature of the soul or spirit; spiritual.
"[T]here are ſome beings in the vvorld vvhich cannot depend upon matter or motion, i.e. that there are ſome ſpiritual and immaterial ſubstances or Beings […] If there be then ſuch things in the vvorld vvhich matter and motion cannot be the cauſes of, then there are certainly spiritual and immaterial Beings, and that I ſhall make appear both as to the minds of men, and to ſome extraordinary effects vvhich are produced in the vvorld."
- 3 Of no importance; inconsequential, insignificant, unimportant. figuratively
"He has also been good enough to recommend to me many tradesmen who are ready to supply these articles in any quantities; each of whom has been here already a dozen times, cap in hand, and vowing that it is quite immaterial when I pay—which is very kind of them; […]"
- 4 Having or seeming to have very little substance; insubstantial, slight. figuratively, rare
"No, vvhy art thou then exaſperate, thou idle, / immaterial ſkeine of ſleiue ſilke; thou greene ſacenet flap for a ſore eye, thou toſſell of a prodigalls purſe— […]"
- 5 Especially of evidence; chiefly followed by to: not associated in any way that is important or useful to the context being discussed; irrelevant. figuratively
"Objection, your Honour! The defendant’s criminal record is immaterial to this case."
Adjective
- 1 not consisting of matter wordnet
- 2 without material form or substance wordnet
- 3 (often followed by ‘to’) lacking importance; not mattering one way or the other wordnet
- 4 of no importance or relevance especially to a law case wordnet
- 5 not pertinent to the matter under consideration wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"This data is immaterial to the argument."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "immaterial"?
Common synonyms include: abstract, abstract entity, adrift, aerial, airy, apparitional.
How do you use "immaterial" in a sentence?
This data is immaterial to the argument.
How do you pronounce "immaterial"?
Pronounced /ˌɪ.məˈtɪə.ɹɪ.əl/.
Etymology
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English immaterial, inmateriall (“incorporeal; spiritual”), from Middle French immateriel (“not material”) (modern French immatériel), and from its etymon Medieval Latin immāteriālis (“not material”), from Latin im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’)) + māteriālis (“made of matter, material”) (from māteria (“matter, substance, material”) (from māter, from Proto-Indo-European *méh₂tēr, + ia) + -ālis (suffix forming adjectives of relationship)). The English word is analysable as im- + material. The noun is derived from the adjective.