raw material

noun

Synonyms of raw materialnext
: crude or processed material that can be converted by manufacture, processing, or combination into a new and useful product
Wheat … is raw material for the flour mill …C. A. Koepke
broadly : something with a potential for improvement, development, or elaboration
… perplexities are often the raw material of discoveries. Agnes M. Clerke

Examples of raw material in a Sentence

His experiences during the war were the raw material for the story.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Scope 3 also encompasses transportation, such as the movement of raw materials to Coats’ facilities and the relocation of in-progress goods between Coats factories. Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 20 Mar. 2026 Key raw materials — like helium used in making computer chips, and sulfur, a raw material in fertilizer — have been obstructed and could be in short supply soon, raising the prices of goods all the way down the supply chain. Dallas Morning News, 20 Mar. 2026 Higher oil prices are a heavy burden for Japan, which like South Korea and Taiwan depends on imports of most raw materials for industries that rely heavily on oil and its derivatives. Elaine Kurtenbach, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026 The group has urged tax credits to offset the expense of tariffs, and specifically called for tariff relief on raw materials, parts and components that cannot be acquired domestically at scale. Josh Boak, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for raw material

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of raw material was in 1612

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Cite this Entry

“Raw material.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raw%20material. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

raw material

noun
: something from which a useful or desirable product can be manufactured or produced
wheat and rye are the raw materials for a flour mill
collect raw material for writing a story

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