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
An immaterial figure who lives where there is no light, his role is to kidnap children who are too noisy and disobedient to their parents' wishes.
—
Photovogue, Vogue, 27 June 2025
For me, this was where everything was tipping: the point at which the material brain created immaterial thoughts and images, and the same point reversed, when the computer turned abstract numbers into concrete actions.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Emotion as Added Value One recurring and essential cog that keeps the watch business ticking remains immaterial: emotion.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
Academy members either deemed the claims false, misleading or immaterial to their assignment of evaluating the quality of a film.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immaterial
Photovogue, Vogue, 27 June 2025
For me, this was where everything was tipping: the point at which the material brain created immaterial thoughts and images, and the same point reversed, when the computer turned abstract numbers into concrete actions.
—Karl Ove Knausgaard, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Emotion as Added Value One recurring and essential cog that keeps the watch business ticking remains immaterial: emotion.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 17 Apr. 2025
Academy members either deemed the claims false, misleading or immaterial to their assignment of evaluating the quality of a film.
—Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for immaterial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for immaterial
Adjective
-
The movement offered a more spiritual alternative to both futurism and communism.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
-
And there’s also a big demographic of that group that likes spiritual music of any kind — anything devotional.—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Both are devoted to the same hetero fairy tale; whether the wedding is happening in the temple or on national television is irrelevant.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
-
His main criticism is how many of the recommendations are either generic or irrelevant to his interests.—
James Peckham,
PC Magazine,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In fact, magical life has the potential to be even more radically incorporeal than our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
-
Indeed, in stark contrast to the incorporeal nature of a digital image, each of Winant’s photographs is, in a sense, a discrete body: a fallible material entity that boasts a hidden physical history and that will compositionally deteriorate over time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Adjective
-
This time, Scott had a less metaphysical explanation for his torment.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The materialist, physiological explanation for the phenomenon of panic generates a bright contrast with the philosophical and metaphysical inquiries that have Nicholas, and Clune, in their grip.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Put simply, superheated plasma was being tested as fuel, but the temperatures melted any sort of solid container, so the experiments used nonmaterial vessels formed from extremely powerful magnetic fields.—
Werner Herzog,
The New Yorker,
21 Aug. 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
Adjective
-
Although this is a common diagnosis, its symptoms can be invisible and interfere with everyday activities like dining out and shopping.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
-
And in sport, where the thinnest of margins always matter, recognizing the invisible might be one of your most visible acts of leadership.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The story unfolds in Agra during the 1990s, weaving together romantic elements with comedic beats and supernatural scares.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
-
From spooky Halloween teen shows to mysteries to supernatural programs, the list has a wide variety of high-quality, compelling shows that will give you all the fall feels.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Immaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immaterial. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share