matériel

noun

ma·​té·​ri·​el mə-ˌtir-ē-ˈel How to pronounce matériel (audio)
variants or materiel
: equipment, apparatus, and supplies used by an organization or institution

Examples of matériel in a Sentence

the army is running short of clothing and other matériel
Recent Examples on the Web If things go south on the battlefield, this enormous monthslong campaign—in which Wagner has sacrificed thousands of human lives and destroyed huge quantities of war materiel—could start to look like a colossal waste of scarce resources. Andrei Soldatov, Foreign Affairs, 12 May 2023 The war has consumed so much Russian manpower and materiel that Moscow will need years to rebuild its military. Michael Kimmage and Hanna Notte, Foreign Affairs, 12 Oct. 2023 Throughout the war in Ukraine, allegations that war materiel has crossed borders have periodically been raised by various countries, including NATO members, sometimes raising fears of spillover and saber-rattling. Paulina Villegas, Washington Post, 24 Sep. 2023 Furthermore, the United States continues to maintain military facilities in at least a dozen countries across the region, ranging from large bases to smaller outposts, training facilities, and pre-positioned stockpiles of weapons and materiel. Jennifer Kavanagh, Foreign Affairs, 17 July 2023 Russia’s economy is under increasing strain, and its defense sector, like the West’s, is struggling to provide enough materiel for the front. Paul Sonne, BostonGlobe.com, 6 May 2023 Russia wants additional artillery shells and other basic materiel, Kirby said. Susie Blann and Dasha Litvinova, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2023 Initial Ukrainian losses of soldiers and materiel were far higher than expected. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 Aug. 2023 On the Ukrainian side, despite the quantities of weapons and supplies that have poured into its armories, relatively little of this war materiel has come from the production line. Foreign Affairs, 27 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'matériel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French matériel, from matériel, adjective

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of matériel was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near matériel

Cite this Entry

“Matériel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mat%C3%A9riel. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

matériel

noun
ma·​té·​ri·​el
variants or materiel
: equipment and supplies used by a group or organization
Etymology

French

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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