raw material

noun

Definition of raw material

: 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

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Examples of raw material in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The raw materials come from placentas donated by women who have given birth by caesarean section. — Charley Grant, WSJ, "Highflying Medical Firm, a Help to Wounded Veterans, Falls to Earth," 23 July 2018 While the raw materials needed to make a nerve agent are cheap and relatively accessible, transforming them into a deadly weapon requires specialized expertise and the kind of safety precautions normally only found in government laboratories. — Washington Post, "UK says ex-spy poisoned with Soviet-developed nerve agent," 12 Mar. 2018 The dry bulk market focused on raw materials has been rebounding in recent weeks, with the Baltic Dry Index up about 35% since hitting a seven-month low in November. — Paul Page, WSJ, "Today’s Logistics Report: Exports Pull Back; Brexit’s Inventory Build; Getting Coffee to Go," 14 Dec. 2018 Jonas Samuelson, chief executive of appliance maker Electrolux, told investors last week that tariffs were contributing to price increases on raw materials that would cost the company about $200 million this year. — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: Trump team faces long odds for trade breakthrough in Beijing," 3 May 2018 Inner Loop, SW MF Sushi Drape, proportion, precision of cut, high quality of raw materials: all the elements of sushi greatness obtain at chef Chris Kinjo's stylish Museum District spot. — Houston Chronicle, "A taste of Houston's Asian restaurants," 10 May 2018 Other raw materials are also headed lower: Copper is off almost 16% this year, while iron ore has lost nearly 6%. — Ira Iosebashvili, WSJ, "Growth Fears Dent Commodities Prices," 13 Dec. 2018 Economies of scale in manufacturing will lower prices, as manufacturer Lockheed Martin will be able to negotiate better deals on everything from labor to raw materials. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The F-35 Program Is About To Start Pivotal Testing To Prove Its Worth," 19 Oct. 2018 The three are particularly enamored with eau de vies, a type of fruit brandy that's unaged and distilled from a raw material other than grapes. — Devorah Lev-tov, Vogue, "This Woman Is Changing the Liquor Landscape, One Custom-Made Bottle at a Time," 11 Oct. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'raw material.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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7 Jun 2019

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The first known use of raw material was in 1612

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More Definitions for raw material

raw material

noun

Financial Definition of raw material

What It Is

Raw materials are commodities, parts or substances that are assembled or processed to form a final product.

How It Works

For example, the raw materials involved in chocolate chip cookies are butter, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, baking powder and chocolate.

Why It Matters

Raw materials determine the quality and cost of producing an item. Many raw materials are commodities that trade on the futures market. For many companies, acquiring raw materials at a good price makes the difference between having a profitable year and having an unprofitable year.

Raw materials may be considered unfinished goods and thus recorded as inventory on the balance sheet.

Source: Investing Answers

raw material

noun