material: meaning, pronunciation and examples

/məˈtɪriəl/·muh-TEER-ee-ul

Material (noun) means a substance used for making things.

What does “material” mean?

  1. 1

    nouna substance used for making things

    Wood is a common building material.
  2. 2

    nouncloth used for making clothes

    This shirt is made of light material.
  3. 3

    nouninformation or ideas used for a book, class or project

    The teacher prepared extra reading material.

Material at a glance

Part of speech
noun
CEFR level
B1 (intermediate)
Pronunciation
/məˈtɪriəl/ · muh-TEER-ee-ul

How to use “material” correctly

“Raw materials” are natural substances used in industry, such as oil, wood and cotton.

Common phrases with “material”

  • raw materials
  • building materials
  • teaching material

Word family

  • materialism
  • materialistic

“material” is on these word lists

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