material
(Informal)
[noun]
Synonyms:
- substance, matter, stuff
- information, data, evidence, facts, notes
- cloth, fabric
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- physical, bodily, concrete, corporeal, palpable, substantial, tangible
- important, essential, meaningful, momentous, serious, significant, vital, weighty
- relevant, applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, pertinent

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Antonyms: immaterial, nonmaterial
Contrasted words: impalpable, imperceptible, intangible, unsubstantial, spiritual
Related Words: actual, real, true, appreciable, palpable, perceptible, earthly, worldly, animal, carnal, fleshly, sensual, consequential, important, momentous, significant, cardinal, essential, fundamental, vital, component, constituent, element, ingredient, apparatus, equipment, machinery

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English Thesaurus: material, substance, matter, stuff, fabric, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. ma‧te‧ri‧al¹ S1 W1 /məˈtɪəriəl $ -ˈtɪr-/ noun
[Word Family: noun: material, materialism, materialist, MATERIALS, materialization; adjective: material, immaterial, materialistic, materialist; adverb: materialistically, materially; verb: materialize]

1. [uncountable and countable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc Synonym : fabric:
curtain material
scraps of material
a cape made of a soft material

2. [uncountable and countable] a solid substance such as wood, plastic, or metal:
materials like wood or stone
organic/plant material
Animals depend on plant material for food.
harmful radioactive material
a paper company which imports raw materials (=substances which have not been treated) from North America.
recycled material

3. [uncountable] (also materials [plural]) the things that are used for making or doing something
reading/writing etc material(s)
Videos often make good teaching material.
a supply of building materials
artists’ materials

4. [uncountable] information or ideas used in books, films etc:
His act contains a lot of new material.
material for
Anita is collecting material for a novel.
the raw material (=information that has not been carefully examined) for an article

5. officer/executive etc material someone who is good enough for a particular job or position:
He’s a good soldier, but not really officer material.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. material² W3 adjective [usually before noun]
[Word Family: noun: material, materialism, materialist, MATERIALS, materialization; adjective: material, immaterial, materialistic, materialist; adverb: materialistically, materially; verb: materialize]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: materialis, from Latin materia; ⇒ matter¹]

1. relating to your money, possessions, living conditions etc, rather than the needs of your mind or soul Antonym : spiritual
material goods/possessions/wealth etc
The spiritual life is more important than material possessions.
a society that places high importance on material rewards

2. relating to the real world and physical objects, rather than religious or spiritual things Antonym : spiritual:
According to some, the material world is all that exists.

3. law important and needing to be considered when making a decision Antonym : irrelevant:
material evidence
material to
facts material to the investigation

4. formal important and having a noticeable effect Antonym : immaterial:
material changes to the schedule
⇒ materially

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

material
noun
I. substance
ADJ. combustible, flammable, hazardous, inflammable, radioactive, toxic | recyclable | man-made

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

material
II. things for making sth
ADJ. raw Higher raw material costs have pushed up the price of many manufactured goods.
industrial | building a storeroom full of building materials
drawing, writing Prisoners were not allowed writing materials.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

material
III. cloth
ADJ. thick, thin | coarse, fine | woven
QUANT. length, piece, roll, scrap, strip A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

material
IV. written matter
ADJ. fascinating, good, relevant, useful | source The letter were used as source material in this new biography.
classified, confidential, sensitive | unpublished | educational, instructional, promotional, teaching | biographical, historical | indecent, obscene, pornographic He was convicted of importing indecent material.
VERB + MATERIAL collect, find, gather, get hold of He's collecting material for a new book on space travel. I can't find any relevant material on him in the library.
contain, include This new biography contains a wealth of previously unpublished material.
produce, publish
PREP. ~ for useful material for a documentary
~ on original material on the First World War

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

material
adjective
BAD: In today's material society, most people think only about money.
GOOD: In today's materialistic society, most people think only about money.

Usage Note:
material = connected with the physical needs that people have (as opposed to spiritual or intellectual needs): 'In material terms they are very well off, but spiritually they are deprived.'
materialistic = believing that money and the things that money can buy are more important than anything else: 'Modern society is becoming increasingly materialistic.' See MENTAL 2

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

material noun [uncountable and countable] a substance, especially one that can be used for making things:
building materials
The island has to import oil and other raw materials (=materials used for making things).
radioactive material
substance noun [countable] a type of material such as a chemical or a mineral:
The green colour of the leaf is due to a substance called chlorophyll.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
matter noun [uncountable] formal a type of substance – used especially in the following phrases:
waste matter from the body
It is important to add plenty of organic matter to the soil.
People throw away lots of vegetable matter.
stuff noun [uncountable] informal a substance - used especially when you do not know exactly what it is:
What’s that sticky stuff on the floor?

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

material noun [uncountable and countable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc:
She bought some pretty dress material.
fabric noun [uncountable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc:
Man-made fabrics such as polyester are easy to wash and iron.
furnishing fabrics
cloth noun [uncountable] woven material, especially material made from natural substances such as cotton and wool, which has not yet been made into any other products:
The main trade was the production of woollen cloth.
textiles noun [plural] formal a general word for all types of cloth – used especially when talking about the business of producing and selling them:
Textiles are one of Mexico’s main exports.
the textile industry
substance noun [countable] a type of material such as a chemical or a mineral:
The green colour of the leaf is due to a substance called chlorophyll.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
matter noun [uncountable] formal a type of substance – used especially in the following phrases:
waste matter from the body
It is important to add plenty of organic matter to the soil.
People throw away lots of vegetable matter.
stuff noun [uncountable] informal a substance - used especially when you do not know exactly what it is:
What’s that sticky stuff on the floor?

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲