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

Mineral-rich African nations are converging around a push to pivot from simply exporting raw materials to a greater emphasis on local processing to add value and jobs that can generate long-term growth. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The company develops technology for mechanically producing textile fiber from wood pulp and waste inputs without dissolving the raw material. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

New plastic made from raw materials can cost less, which reduces the financial incentive to buy recycled. — Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Manufacturing companies often run on lean margins and have significant capital tied up in raw materials, machines and labor. — Marc Kermisch, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 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