raw material

noun

: 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

Synonyms of raw material

• potential
• material

Examples of raw material in a Sentence

His experiences during the war were the raw material for the story.

Recent Examples on the Web

So complex that the olfactory concoction’s raw materials play differently depending upon its wearer. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026

Long-term contracts would also allow suppliers to purchase raw materials and critical parts in larger quantities, potentially reducing production delays and repair turnaround times. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026

These basic materials are now very expensive because there are heavy restrictions on the entry of raw materials into Gaza. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

The funding will support construction, raw material purchases, inventory and working capital as the company moves beyond research and development. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for raw material

• arterial
• bacterial
• ethereal
• funereal
• imperial
• sidereal
• venereal
• antibacterial
• biomaterial
• mycobacterial
• cereal
• virial

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