What does "material" mean?
A basic matter (as metal, wood, plastic, fiber, etc.) from which the whole or the greater part of something physical (as a machine, tool, building, fabric, etc.) is made.
Material
/məˈtɪə.ɹi.əl/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A basic matter (as metal, wood, plastic, fiber, etc.) from which the whole or the greater part of something physical (as a machine, tool, building, fabric, etc.) is made.
- Grammar: material is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: a propos, ab ovo, absolute, abundance.
- Useful contrasts: astral, bodiless, conceptual proof.
- Usage evidence: Another interesting source of energy is the heat that can be recovered from radioactive waste material.
How to use "material"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "material" 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 "material" 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 "material" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "material" 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 "material" is acting as adj, noun, verb 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 "a propos" 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 "material", 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 basic matter (as metal, wood, plastic, fiber, etc.) from which the whole or the greater part of something physical (as a machine, tool, building, fabric, etc.) is made. countable, uncountable
"Asphalt, composed of oil and sand, is a widely used material for roads."
- 2 artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers wordnet
- 3 A person, or people collectively, who are qualified or suited for a certain position or activity. collective, countable, sometimes, uncountable
"boy/girlfriend material"
- 4 things needed for doing or making something wordnet
- 5 Apparatus for doing or making something. countable, plural, uncountable, usually
"Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet."
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 information (data or ideas or observations) that can be used or reworked into a finished form wordnet
- 7 Something (as data, observations, perceptions or ideas) that may be incorporated, elaborated or otherwise reworked into a finished form or new form, or may serve as the basis for arriving at interpretations, judgments or conclusions. countable, uncountable
"teaching materials"
- 8 a person judged suitable for admission or employment wordnet
- 9 Cloth to be made into a garment; woven fabric. countable, uncountable
"a piece of material"
- 10 the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object wordnet
- 11 The elements, constituents or substance of which something physical or non-physical composed of or can be made of. countable, uncountable
"The solid materials of the mixture will settle to the bottom of the container."
- 12 An element of a design language associated with a certain style of rendering on the display. countable, uncountable
- 13 All of a player's pieces and pawns on the chessboard, excluding the king. countable, uncountable
- 14 The ingredients for making whisky punch. Ireland, archaic, countable, uncountable
- 15 The materiel of an army. countable, rare, uncountable
- 16 Things that are material. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To form from matter; to materialize. obsolete, transitive
"I believe that the whole frame of a beast doth perish, and is left in the same state after death as before it was materialled unto life."
Adjective
- 1 Of, relating to, or consisting of matter, especially physical.
"This compound has a number of interesting material properties."
- 2 Of, relating to, or affecting physical well-being; corporeal; bodily.
"material needs"
- 3 Of or relating to the matter of reasoning, as distinguished from the form of it, especially empirical.
"material cause"
- 4 Having real importance or great consequences; significant; substantial. especially
"found a material difference between two things"
- 5 Relating to or concerned with what is purely physical rather than intellectual or spiritual, especially excessively so; materialistic.
"the material world"
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Full of substance or otherwise meaning. obsolete
- 7 In an important degree. obsolete
Adjective
- 1 having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary wordnet
- 2 derived from or composed of matter wordnet
- 3 having material or physical form or substance wordnet
- 4 directly relevant to a matter especially a law case wordnet
- 5 concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well-being wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Another interesting source of energy is the heat that can be recovered from radioactive waste material."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "material"?
Common synonyms include: a propos, ab ovo, absolute, abundance, accumulation, actual.
How do you use "material" in a sentence?
Another interesting source of energy is the heat that can be recovered from radioactive waste material.
How do you pronounce "material"?
Pronounced /məˈtɪə.ɹi.əl/.
Etymology
From Middle English material, from Late Latin māteriālis, from Latin māteria (“wood, material, substance”), from māter (“mother”). Displaced native Middle English andweorc, andwork (“material, matter”) (from Old English andweorc (“matter, substance, material”)). Doublet of materiel.