materialize

verb

ma·​te·​ri·​al·​ize mə-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌlīz 

materialized; materializing

transitive verb

1

a

: to make material : objectify

b

: to cause to appear in bodily form

materialize the spirits of the dead

2

: to cause to be materialistic

intransitive verb

1

: to assume bodily form

2

a

: to appear especially suddenly

b

: to come into existence

materializer noun

Synonyms

• begin
• originate
• arise
• start
• appear
• commence
• be
• emerge

Examples of materialize in a Sentence

A waiter suddenly materialized beside our table.

Rain clouds materialized on the horizon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Congressional leadership, Levin said, was scheduled to meet with the president and Republican leaders to discuss preservation of the credits, but that meeting did not materialize. —Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025

But if neither materializes, the government will shut down on October 1, and without its legal authority, many parts of the government would be forced to stop operations. —Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

Nothing really materialized so far. —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025

Her football goal didn’t materialize, as coach Caffey put his foot down (pun intended). —James Varsallone, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for materialize

• contextualize
• industrialize
• materialise
• memorialize
• microenterprise
• overemphasize
• particularize
• revolutionise
• revolutionize
• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise

Kids Definition

materialize

verb

ma·​te·​ri·​al·​ize mə-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌlīz 

materialized; materializing

1

: to give material form and substance to

2

: to assume or cause to assume bodily form

a ghost materialized out of nowhere

3

a

: to come into existence

a promise that never materialized

b

: to appear suddenly