Link Centre Dictionary

material

ma·te·rial

US/məˈtɪə.ɹi.əl/ common
noun (5) adjective (6)

noun

1.

the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object

  • “coal is a hard black material”
  • “wheat is the stuff they use to make bread”
Synonyms
2.

information (data or ideas or observations) that can be used or reworked into a finished form

  • “the archives provided rich material for a definitive biography”
3.

things needed for doing or making something

  • “writing materials”
  • “useful teaching materials”
4.

artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers

  • “the fabric in the curtains was light and semitraqnsparent”
  • “woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC”
  • “she measured off enough material for a dress”
Synonyms
5.

a person judged suitable for admission or employment

  • “he was university material”
  • “she was vice-presidential material”

adjective

1.

concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests

  • “material possessions”
  • “material wealth”
  • “material comforts”
Similar
2.

derived from or composed of matter

  • “the material universe”
Antonyms
Similar
3.

directly relevant to a matter especially a law case

  • “his support made a material difference”
  • “evidence material to the issue at hand”
  • “facts likely to influence the judgment are called material facts”
  • “a material witness”
Antonyms
Similar
4.

concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well-being

  • “material needs”
  • “the moral and material welfare of all good citizens” T.Roosevelt
Similar
5.

having material or physical form or substance

  • “that which is created is of necessity corporeal and visible and tangible” Benjamin Jowett
Synonyms
Antonyms
Similar
6.

having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary

  • “the substantial world”
  • “a mere dream, neither substantial nor practical”
  • “most ponderous and substantial things” Shakespeare
Synonyms
Antonyms

Origin

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.

Phrases

  • active material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • bill of material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • bomb material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • building material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • child sexual abuse material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • collateral material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • composite material Terms derived from material (noun)
  • genetic material Terms derived from material (noun)

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.