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

That seems steep given his up-and-down track record, but one never knows if a bidding war might materialize. —Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Aug. 2025

Still, this would presumably not be the final barrier to a deal, were a realistic one to materialize. —Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025

The window for success is closing fast with presidential elections in 2026, and crop substitution projects and partial agreements yet to materialize. —Bram Ebus, Time, 20 Aug. 2025

Ben Rhodes, who served as former President Obama’s deputy national security adviser, expressed skepticism on Tuesday that a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine could materialize in the near future. —Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 19 Aug. 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