MATERIAL


Meaning of MATERIAL in English

(~s)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.

A ~ is a solid substance.

...electrons in a conducting ~ such as a metal.

...the design of new absorbent ~s.

N-VAR

2.

Material is cloth.

...the thick ~ of her skirt...

The ~s are soft and comfortable to wear.

N-MASS

3.

Materials are the things that you need for a particular activity.

The builders ran out of ~s.

...sewing ~s.

N-PLURAL: usu supp N

4.

Ideas or information that are used as a basis for a book, play, or film can be referred to as ~.

In my version of the story, I added some new ~.

N-UNCOUNT

5.

Material things are related to possessions or money, rather than to more abstract things such as ideas or values.

Every room must have been stuffed with ~ things.

...the ~ world.

? spiritual

ADJ: usu ADJ n

~ly

He has tried to help this child ~ly and spiritually...

ADV: ADV with v, ADV adj/-ed, ADV with cl

6.

If you say that someone is a particular kind of ~, you mean that they have the qualities or abilities to do a particular job or task.

She was not university ~...

His message has changed little since he became presidential ~.

N-UNCOUNT: supp N

7.

Material evidence or information is directly relevant and important in a legal or academic argument. (FORMAL)

The nature and availability of ~ evidence was not to be discussed...

ADJ: ADJ n

Collins COBUILD.      Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык Коллинз COBUILD (международная база данных языков Бирмингемского университета) .