as in potential
the basic elements from which something can be developed
Canada now converts most of its raw materials into manufactured goods such as automobiles and auto parts
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Recent Examples of raw material
Wool Blankets New wool blankets are an investment—the raw materials are costly, and production is labor-intensive.
—
Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
Thierry Pairault, a China-Africa expert at France's National Center for Scientific Research, said that while the new policy might have some benefits for agricultural products, most African raw material exports like oil and minerals already had tariff-free access to China.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
If someone’s job is to mine reality for meaning, intimacy can feel like raw material.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
Models are sycophantic because a great deal of language use on the internet – the raw material that chatbots learn from – displays sycophantic features.
—Cody Turner, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for raw material
Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 2 May 2026
Thierry Pairault, a China-Africa expert at France's National Center for Scientific Research, said that while the new policy might have some benefits for agricultural products, most African raw material exports like oil and minerals already had tariff-free access to China.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
If someone’s job is to mine reality for meaning, intimacy can feel like raw material.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 May 2026
Models are sycophantic because a great deal of language use on the internet – the raw material that chatbots learn from – displays sycophantic features.
—Cody Turner, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for raw material
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raw material
Noun
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Children are seen as neither a treasure nor the future flag bearers of this country’s immense potential and responsibility.—
Randi Weingarten,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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Along with the launch of its chatbot for clinicians last month, OpenAI also published a wish list that the company described as a blueprint for unlocking AI’s potential to change the broader health care system.—
Brittany Trang,
STAT,
6 May 2026
Noun
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My prediction is that within 50 years, biology will be the engineering material of choice, and many of the people reading this article will become bioengineers.—
Eliza Strickland,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Apr. 2026
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The material is debuting at the Footwear Innovation and Technology Summit in Vietnam, with commercial availability beginning this month.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raw material.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raw%20material. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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