material
Definitions
The substance or substances from which something is made
材料，原料
Cloth or fabric
布料，衣料
Information, ideas, or facts used as a basis for work (a book, lesson, etc.)
素材，资料
Made of or relating to physical matter; physical rather than spiritual
物质的，有形的
Important, significant, or relevant (often in law or formal contexts)
实质性的，重要的，相关的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedmateri (from Latin materia, the trunk-wood of a tree — the 'mother-stuff' growth comes from) + -al = 'of the mother-substance.' As a noun it is the raw stuff you build with — cloth, lumber, or the 'stuff' a lesson is made of. As an adjective it climbs from 'made of matter' to 'physical' to 'substantial, important': a material difference is one with real weight.
Root mater still carries 6 more wordsUsage Guide
- General noun: the substance something is made of — building materials, raw material.
- Fabric sense: in everyday British English, 'material' often means cloth (a dress made of soft material); AmE more often says 'fabric.'
- 'Material' (uncountable) = stuff in general; 'materials' (plural) = specific items/supplies (art materials, teaching materials).
- Legal/formal adjective: 'material' = significant, relevant — a material fact, a material breach of contract. This is a register trap: it does not mean 'physical' here.
Example Sentences
- 1.
Steel is a strong material widely used in modern construction.
- 2.
She chose a soft, lightweight material for the summer dress.
- 3.
The teacher prepared extra reading material for the exam.
- 4.
Possessions never made him happy; material things felt empty.
- 5.
The new evidence is material to the outcome of the case.