material
concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests
How often you will meet it
Rank 2,261 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 7,754 times across 139,755 chapters — 0.004% of every word in the library.
What it means
adjective
- concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests material possessionsmaterial wealth
- derived from or composed of matter the material universe
- directly relevant to a matter especially a law case his support made a material differenceevidence material to the issue at hand
- concerned with or affecting physical as distinct from intellectual or psychological well-being material needsthe moral and material welfare of all good citizens
- having material or physical form or substance also: corporeal that which is created is of necessity corporeal and visible and tangible
- having substance or capable of being treated as fact; not imaginary also: substantial, real the substantial worlda mere dream, neither substantial nor practical
noun
- the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object also: stuff coal is a hard black materialwheat is the stuff they use to make bread
- information (data or ideas or observations) that can be used or reworked into a finished form the archives provided rich material for a definitive biography
material in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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Oh! don't you see, both ways would look too human, too material.
The Empire Annual for Girls, 1911 · Various · Chapter 1
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I am collecting material, and, when the psychological moment arrives, I shall write that novel.
Punch — Volume 101, November 7, 1891 · Various · Chapter 1
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For Maxence considered the bills found in the secretary as a flagrant, irrefutable and material proof.
Other People's Money · Emile Gaboriau · Chapter 1
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The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Persons who inhabit residences composed of a brittle, transparent, silicious material, should refrain from forcibly casting fragments of granite, etc.
Punchinello, Volume 1, No. 08, May 21, 1870 · Various · Chapter 1