immaterial

adjective

ˌi-mə-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce immaterial (audio)
Definition of immaterialnext
1
as in spiritual
not composed of matter it is only possible to study immaterial forces like gravity by observing their effects on the physical world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in irrelevant
not having anything to do with the matter at hand while undoubtedly upsetting, that story is immaterial to the question of why you are late

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of immaterial The challenge was to create something that feels almost immaterial, while still making a real shoe. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 May 2026 Portofiro and the baroque universe surrounding it—communists on-world, techno-fascists offplanet, and all manner of augmentoids and spooks in the immaterial planes between—can make for a dizzying read. — Alex James Kane, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 If strict fidelity gets in the way, it can be treated as immaterial. — Literary Hub, 19 May 2026 Local women are invited to share still-raw memories, to grapple together with the kinds of things that would be immaterial to the courts. — Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for immaterial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immaterial
  1. spiritual
  2. irrelevant
  3. incorporeal
  4. metaphysical
  5. nonmaterial
  6. invisible
  7. supernatural
  8. nonphysical
Adjective
  • Adding something fun to your at-home altar like an incense holder, a statue of Venus/Aphrodite, or evil eye decor to stay grounded within yourself and embrace your spiritual side this month.
    — Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, cast members sit for personal fate readings and open up about relationships and losses in their own lives, then move into direct contact with shamanic ritual, a practice the format positions as central to Korean spiritual life.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of spiritual
Adjective
  • The migrants were never going to be able to reach the mainland EU, but that fact was irrelevant to hard-right, anti-migrant politicians around the world who portrayed the incident in apocalyptic terms.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a big difference between irrelevant and less relevant.
    — Shep Hyken, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of irrelevant
Adjective
  • Followers of the Abrahamic religions are supposed to treat God as immaterial and incorporeal, yet these early Yahweh worshippers imagined him as fully embodied.
    — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2026
  • Positioned as a large-scale genre event, the series updates the legendary SFX property with a contemporary political and social edge, with Shun Oguri leading the cast as a detective hunting a seemingly incorporeal killer.
    — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
Definition of incorporeal
Adjective
  • Described as a metaphysical nocturnal taxi ride rather than a documentary, the visual companion was filmed in Ghent and at a train station in Muizen, Belgium.
    — SPIN Staff, SPIN, 31 July 2026
  • The war on language is more metaphysical than just the policing of proper social justice terminology, Williams argues.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Definition of metaphysical
Adjective
  • The author excludes them all, asserting that belief in any kind of nonmaterial, ethereal world lacks empirical support.
    — Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
  • The first part of the book is committed to a ground-clearing exercise, describing the various concepts of the nonmaterial soul that feature in many different religious belief systems.
    — Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
Definition of nonmaterial
Adjective
  • Consumers who decide to boycott a company can be almost invisible to corporate executives.
    — Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • These invisible aids help prevent wheelspin and a driver’s loss of control.
    — Matt Degen, AJC.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of invisible
Adjective
  • This place has a mysterious spiritual atmosphere, shaped by the idea of sacred cosmic energy and stories of warriors who gained supernatural powers through intense training.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
  • Is the show suddenly switching genres from adventure to supernatural?
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 July 2026
Definition of supernatural
Adjective
  • In Ayurveda, Prana, the life force carried by the breath, is understood to nourish both the mind and body and can be viewed as a nonphysical substance, finer than oxygen.
    — Trisha Swift, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
  • In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts.
    — Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Definition of nonphysical

Browse Nearby Words

immanent
immaterial
immateriality
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Immaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immaterial. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of immaterial for Spanish Speakers

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