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
Synonyms:
Other Word Forms of Material
Noun
Singular:
material
Plural:
materialsOrigin 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
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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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