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Definition of material noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

material

noun
 OPAL WOPAL S
 
/məˈtɪəriəl/
 
/məˈtɪriəl/
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  1.  
     [countable, uncountable] a substance that things can be made from
    • building materials (= bricks, sand, glass, etc.)
    • Every item we sell is made out of recycled material.
    • All the furniture is crafted from natural materials.
    • synthetic/man-made materials
    • Bacteria help break down dead plant material such as fallen leaves.
    • We have 98% of the same genetic material as chimpanzees.
    see also raw material
    Extra Examples
    • Higher raw material costs have pushed up the price of many manufactured goods.
    • Kaolin, the source material for porcelain, was discovered near the town.
    • Many of the original materials were reused in the restoration of the building.
    • The artificial turf is laid onto a rubber composite material.
    • A ban on risk materials from the human food chain provides protection to public health.
    • The corn contains genetically modified material.
    • Toxic chemicals and other materials have been found.
    Topics Physics and chemistrya2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • combustible
    • flammable
    • hazardous
    • …
    verb + material
    • contain
    • incorporate
    • use
    • …
    See full entry
  2.  
     [countable, usually plural, uncountable] things that are needed in order to do a particular activity
    • teaching materials
    • They publish a range of educational materials.
    • Advertising and promotional materials target the male market.
    • The company produces its own training material.
    Synonyms equipmentequipmentmaterial ▪ gear ▪ kit ▪ apparatusThese are all words for the things that you need for a particular purpose or activity.equipment the things that are needed for a particular purpose or activity:
    • camping equipment
    • a piece of equipment
    material things that are needed for a particular activity:
    • household cleaning materials
    • teaching material
     equipment or material?Equipment is usually solid things, especially large ones. Materials may be liquids, powders or books, software, etc. containing information, as well as small solid items.gear the equipment or clothes needed for a particular activity:
    • Skiing gear can be expensive.
    kit a set of tools or equipment that you use for a particular purpose:
    • a first-aid kit
    • a tool kit
    apparatus the tools or other pieces of equipment that are needed for a particular activity or task:
    • breathing apparatus for firefighters
    • laboratory apparatus
    Apparatus is used especially for scientific, medical or technical purposes.    Patterns
    • electrical/​electronic equipment/​gear/​apparatus
    • sports equipment/​gear/​kit
    • camping equipment/​gear
    • a piece of equipment/​apparatus
    Extra Examples
    • Prisoners were not allowed writing materials.
    • You have to buy your own art materials.
    • Many household cleaning materials are highly toxic.
  3.  
     [uncountable] information or ideas used in books, etc.
    • She's collecting material for her latest novel.
    • This is not suitable reading material for a child.
    • The letters were used as source material in this new biography.
    • Such conflicts provide good material for film plots.
    Extra Examples
    • He's collecting material for a new book on space travel.
    • I can't find any relevant material on him in the library.
    • The download includes some great supplementary material.
    • The library has a wealth of old photographs and other archival material.
    • The magazine contains not one bit of original material.
    • This new biography contains a wealth of previously unpublished material.
    • original material on the First World War
    • He was convicted of importing indecent material.
    • The collection includes objects and printed material.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • fascinating
    • good
    • relevant
    • …
    verb + material
    • collect
    • find
    • gather
    • …
    preposition
    • material for
    • material on
    See full entry
  4.  
     [uncountable, countable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains, etc. synonym fabric
    • You'll need a piece of material about 20 cm square.
    • ‘What material is this dress made of?’ ‘Cotton.’
    Synonyms fabricfabriccloth ▪ material ▪ textileThese are all words for woven or knitted cotton, silk, wool, etc., used for making things such as clothes and curtains, and for covering furniture.fabric woven or knitted cotton, silk, wool, etc, used for making things such as clothes and curtains, and for covering furniture:
    • cotton fabric
    • furnishing fabrics
    Fabric is often fairly strong material, and is often used when talking about covering furniture or making curtains.    cloth fabric made by weaving or knitting cotton, wool, silk, etc:
    • His bandages had been made from strips of cloth.
    Cloth is often fairly light material, especially in a form that has not been printed, treated, or prepared for use in any way. Cloth is frequently used in talking about buying and selling woven material.    material fabric used for making clothes, curtains, etc:
    • ‘What material is this dress made of?’ ‘Cotton.’
    Material is a more general word than fabric or cloth as it has the related meaning of ‘a substance that things can be made from’. It is not used when it might not be clear which type of material is meant: furnishing material • the material industry • a material manufacturer     textile any type of fabric made by weaving or knitting:
    • He owns a factory producing a range of textiles.
    • the textile industry
    Textile is used mostly when talking about the business of making woven materials. The industry of making textiles is called textiles: He got a job in textiles.     Patterns
    • woven/​cotton/​woollen fabric/​cloth/​material/​textiles
    • synthetic fabric/​material/​textiles
    • printed fabric/​cloth/​textiles
    • curtain/​dress fabric/​material
    Extra Examples
    • satin, velvet, silk and other dress material
    • A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material.
    • The military uses synthetic materials for clothing because they're more durable than cotton.
    Topics Clothes and Fashionb1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • coarse
    • rough
    • thick
    • …
    … of material
    • piece
    • scrap
    • strip
    • …
    See full entry
  5. [uncountable] items used in a performance
    • The band played all new material at the gig.
  6. a person with particular qualities or suitable for a particular opportunity
    • The teacher saw her as good university material (= good enough to go to university).
    • He's not really Olympic material.
    7. Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘relating to matter’): from late Latin materialis, adjective from Latin materia ‘matter’.
See material in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee material in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: material

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