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Material

//məˈtɪə.ɹi.əl// adj, noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of, relating to, or consisting of matter, especially physical.

    "This compound has a number of interesting material properties."

  2. 2
    Of, relating to, or affecting physical well-being; corporeal; bodily.

    "material needs"

  3. 3
    Of or relating to the matter of reasoning, as distinguished from the form of it, especially empirical.

    "material cause"

  4. 4
    Having real importance or great consequences; significant; substantial. especially

    "found a material difference between two things"

  5. 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
  1. 6
    Full of substance or otherwise meaning. obsolete
  2. 7
    In an important degree. obsolete
Adjective
  1. 1
    having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary wordnet
  2. 2
    derived from or composed of matter wordnet
  3. 3
    having material or physical form or substance wordnet
  4. 4
    directly relevant to a matter especially a law case wordnet
  5. 5
    concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well-being wordnet
Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests wordnet
Noun
  1. 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. 2
    artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers wordnet
  3. 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. 4
    things needed for doing or making something wordnet
  5. 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
  1. 6
    information (data or ideas or observations) that can be used or reworked into a finished form wordnet
  2. 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"

  3. 8
    a person judged suitable for admission or employment wordnet
  4. 9
    Cloth to be made into a garment; woven fabric. countable, uncountable

    "a piece of material"

  5. 10
    the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object wordnet
  6. 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."

  7. 12
    An element of a design language associated with a certain style of rendering on the display. countable, uncountable
  8. 13
    All of a player's pieces and pawns on the chessboard, excluding the king. countable, uncountable
  9. 14
    The ingredients for making whisky punch. Ireland, archaic, countable, uncountable
  10. 15
    The materiel of an army. countable, rare, uncountable
  11. 16
    Things that are material. countable, obsolete, uncountable
Verb
  1. 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."

Etymology

Etymology 1

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.

Etymology 2

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.

Etymology 3

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.

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