material

 
Pronunciation: /məˈtɪərɪəl/

noun

[mass noun]
  • 1the matter from which a thing is or can be made: goats can eat more or less any plant material [count noun]: highly flammable materials
  • (materials) things needed for an activity: cleaning materials
  • [with adjective or noun modifier] a person of a specified quality or suitability: he’s not really Olympic material
  • 2information or ideas for use in creating a book or other work: his colonial experiences gave him material
  • items, such as songs or jokes, comprising a performer’s act: a watchable band playing original material
  • 3cloth or fabric: a piece of dark material [count noun]: dress materials

adjective

  • 1 [attributive] denoting or consisting of physical objects rather than the mind or spirit: the material world
  • concerned with money or possessions rather than the needs of the mind or spirit: material living standards have risen
  • concerned with the matter of reasoning, not its form: political conflict lacks mathematical or material certitude
  • 2significant; important: the insects did not do any material damage to the crop
  • Law (of evidence or a fact) significant or relevant, especially to the extent of determining a cause or affecting a judgement: information that could be material to a murder inquiry

Origin:

late Middle English (in the sense 'relating to matter'): from late Latin materialis, adjective from Latin materia 'matter'