material
gb/mətˈɪɹiəl/ us/mətˈɪɹiəl/
A2
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
physical matter for making things
A substance that is used to make or build something.
Usage pattern:
[material] for [purpose]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'material' with 'materiel', which means military equipment.
Synonyms
substance (More general; refers to any kind of matter, not just for making things.)
|
fabric (Usually refers to cloth or textile materials specifically.)
Antonyms
immaterial (Means 'not made of physical matter' or 'not important' in some contexts.)
Collocations
raw material
|building material
|packaging material
|recyclable material
|construction material
Themes
science
|manufacturing
|daily life
|daily_life
|work
Examples
- Steel is a strong material used in construction.
- The dress was made from a soft, flowing material.
- Wood is a common building material.
- We need to choose the right material for the roof.
- Plastic is a cheap but durable material.
Learner examples
- This bag is made of strong material.
- The chair is made from wood material.
- Glass is a hard material.
- Cotton is a soft material.
Noun
B1
entity
2
information or ideas for creating work
Information or ideas used to make a book, film, or talk.
Usage pattern:
[material] for [project]
Synonyms
content (Focuses on the actual substance of what is produced, especially media.)
|
data (Refers to factual information, often numerical.)
Antonyms
nonsense (Refers to meaningless or useless information.)
Collocations
source material
|reference material
|training material
|research material
Themes
media
|education
|arts
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- The journalist gathered material for her next article.
- We have enough material to start writing the report.
- His life story provided rich material for the novel.
- The teacher handed out reading material for the class.
- They lacked the necessary research material.
Learner examples
- I need more material for my homework.
- The teacher gave us study material.
- She found good material for her talk.
- We used old notes as material for the project.
adjective
B2
property
3
related to physical things not spiritual
About things you can touch, not about feelings or the spirit.
Usage pattern:
material [noun]
Synonyms
physical (Focuses on being tangible and bodily.)
Antonyms
spiritual (Relating to the mind, soul, or religion instead of physical things.)
Collocations
material wealth
|material world
|material needs
Themes
philosophy
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He was more interested in spiritual growth than in material wealth.
- The charity aims to meet both the spiritual and material needs of people.
- Material possessions are not the key to happiness.
- Her success brought her many material benefits.
Learner examples
- Money is a material thing.
- Food and clothes are material needs.
- He likes material gifts more than letters.
- We all have material needs.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
significant or relevant to a case or issue
Important or connected to a situation or problem.
Usage pattern:
material [fact/information]
Synonyms
relevant (General term meaning related to the matter at hand.)
|
significant (Emphasizes importance rather than mere relation.)
Antonyms
irrelevant (Not connected to the matter at hand.)
Collocations
material fact
|material evidence
|material change
Themes
law
|business
|communication
Examples
- The lawyer argued that the witness had omitted a material fact.
- Material evidence was presented during the trial.
- There has been no material change in the company's financial position.
- Only material considerations were taken into account.
Learner examples
- This is a material fact in the case.
- We have no material evidence yet.
- There was no material change in the plan.
- The judge asked if it was a material detail.
Grammar
Dictionary form
material
IPA
GB/mətˈɪɹiəl/
US/mətˈɪɹiəl/
Syllables & stress
ma - ter - i - al (4 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ter)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: material
Noun
- Base: material
- Plural: material, materials
Word family
Forms
materials
noun
Related words
materially
adverb
materialize
verb B2
Negative and opposite forms
immaterial
adjective C1
Advanced or less common
Expressions
building materials
1/bˈɪldɪŋ mətˈɪɹiəlz/
fixed phrase
substances for constructing buildings
Things like wood, stone, and bricks that are used to build houses and other buildings.
Examples
- The store sells many types of building materials.
- Concrete and steel are common building materials.
building materials
1/bˈɪldɪŋ mətˈɪɹiəlz/
fixed phrase
materials used for construction
things such as wood, bricks, or cement used to make buildings.
Examples
- The cost of building materials has risen sharply this year.
- The store sells tools and building materials.
- They chose local stone as the main building material for the house.
learning materials
1/lˈɚnɪŋ mətˈɪɹiəlz/
fixed phrase
items used for learning purposes
Things like books and videos that help you study and learn something.
Examples
- The teacher prepared all the learning materials before class.
- Students should bring their learning materials every day.
material world
1/mətˈɪɹiəl wˈɚld/
fixed phrase
physical world not spiritual world
The world of things you can see and touch, not ideas or the spirit.
Examples
- Some people believe we should focus less on the material world and more on our inner selves.
- He is deeply involved in the material world of business.
raw material
1/ɹˈɑ mətˈɪɹiəl/
fixed phrase
basic substance before processing
A natural or basic thing used to make a product before it is changed or treated.
Examples
- Cotton is an important raw material for the textile industry.
- The factory imports raw materials from several countries.