variants
also British materialise
materializes; materialized; materializing
1
: to become visible : to appear especially in a sudden or magical way
A waiter suddenly materialized beside our table.
Rain clouds materialized on the horizon.
2
: to begin to happen or exist : to occur or become real
—usually used in negative statements
The bad weather we had worried about never materialized.
The money they promised us has so far failed to materialize.
Cite this Entry
“Materialize.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/materialize. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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