Meaning & use
material
The substance or matter from which something is made, such as cloth, wood, or metal.
See it in a sentence
The tailor chose a soft, lightweight material for the summer dresses.
Builders selected durable materials to withstand the harsh coastal climate year-round.
A note on using this word
As an adjective, material also means relevant or important, as in material evidence, a formal usage distinct from the physical-substance sense.
Words with a similar meaning
substancefabric
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. adjective
Significant or relevant to a matter, especially in a legal or logical sense.
The lawyer argued that the new evidence was material to the case.
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