IMMATERIAL Synonyms: 89 Similar and Opposite Words

immaterial

adjective

ˌi-mə-ˈtir-ē-əl

Definition of immaterial

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

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 To the casual observer, the look and feel of shipping containers suggests a world of smooth, lossless transportation, almost immaterial in its implementation of a logistical ideal. — Alexander Klose, Scientific American, 24 July 2026 The money, in Gupta’s view, is immaterial. — April Long, Allure, 24 June 2026 None of these readings are so emphatic as to render the others immaterial, and the pervading ambivalence paired with a steady but creeping pace could turn off viewers who just want a good mystery to solve. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 June 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 See All Example Sentences for immaterial

Recent Examples of Synonyms for immaterial

Adjective

This is a tranquil boutique hotel in the spiritual heart of Bali.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Garfield’s Altman is going for a different kind of spiritual truth.

— Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of spiritual

Adjective

Frequently, the drug and location are irrelevant to the price — raising questions about the roles of insurers and higher prices associated with popular plans.

— Bob Herman, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
But in sectors where the buyer is sophisticated—and purchases are often time-sensitive—particularly in infrastructure, industrial services, specialist logistics and even professional services, awareness from the wider public is close to irrelevant.

— Sophie Attwood, Forbes.com, 2 Oct. 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

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

They were rendered invisible in the dominant discourse, their deaths acceptable costs in a game of power politics and conquest.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026
The rich cinematic imagery and sound give new forms to the often complex and invisible realities of climate change.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of invisible

Adjective

Nyla Innuksuk’s supernatural thriller In the Heart of the South is the latest Canadian indie aiming to reclaim indigenous storytelling and representation in movie theaters.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
Over a span of nearly 20 years and thousands of different writers, the writing has not been contained to a single, cohesive canon, but everything is at least centered around this organization investigating supernatural anomalies from everyday items.

— Brian Welk, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 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

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Style

“Immaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/immaterial. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of immaterial

adjective

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