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

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 Rare-earth elements are also crucial in a range of military applications, as raw material for missile-guidance systems, satellites and aircraft electronics. — Chuin-wei Yap, WSJ, "U.S. Reliance on Obscure Imports From China Points to Strategic Vulnerability," 24 Sep. 2018 That subject, recurrent throughout Nkanga’s oeuvre, can be summarized as the exploitation of raw materials, the accompanying environmental and social destruction, and the human desire that ultimately drives it all. — Lori Waxman, chicagotribune.com, "Human desire and exploitation: Don't miss a powerhouse show at the MCA by Otobong Nkanga," 5 July 2018 For decades bobal served primarily as the raw material for bulk wines produced by cooperatives, either for local consumption or export, where it was used to beef up wan reds. — Eric Asimov, New York Times, "The Grape From Manchuela," 21 June 2018 Get our daily newsletter At the moment, demand for carbon dioxide as a raw material is a trifling 80m tonnes a year. — The Economist, "$15m is available to solve a burning problem," 9 Apr. 2018 Carmakers have responded to rising raw materials prices by accelerating work on types of batteries that use smaller amounts of cobalt, BNEF said. — David Stringer, Bloomberg.com, "Threat of Cobalt Supply Shock Is Top Risk for Electric Vehicles," 21 May 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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18 Apr 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