Definition, synonyms and related words
plural of material
"The construction crew arrived early to unload all the lumber and steel materials for the new bridge."
In plain English: Materials are the raw things you use to build, make, or fix something.
"The furniture store sells high-quality materials like wood and leather for custom pieces."
Usage: Use materials to refer to physical substances or resources needed to make something, such as wood for a table or paper for a book. Do not confuse this with abstract concepts like data or information, which are better described as data or resources.
Third-person singular simple present indicative form of material
"She does not always material when she is expected to make a presentation at the meeting."
In plain English: To materials something means to put it together using various parts or supplies.
"The carpenter will materials the wooden beams to build a sturdy shelf."
Usage: Do not use "materials" as a verb; instead, conjugate the noun "material" or use the verb "to materialize" depending on your intended meaning. This common error occurs when speakers mistakenly treat the third-person singular form of the noun as an action word.
Derived from Old French matiere and Latin materies, the term originally referred to physical matter or substance. It later evolved in English to denote raw resources required for making something as well as written documents or supplies needed for a specific purpose.