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material

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word material different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of material are applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, pertinent, and relevant. While all these words mean "relating to or bearing upon the matter in hand," material implies so close a relationship that it cannot be dispensed with without serious alteration of the case.

facts material to the investigation

When is it sensible to use applicable instead of material?

The synonyms applicable and material are sometimes interchangeable, but applicable suggests the fitness of bringing a general rule or principle to bear upon a particular case.

the rule is not applicable in this case

When might apposite be a better fit than material?

In some situations, the words apposite and material are roughly equivalent. However, apposite suggests a felicitous relevance.

add an apposite quotation to the definition

When is apropos a more appropriate choice than material?

Although the words apropos and material have much in common, apropos suggests being both relevant and opportune.

the quip was apropos

When could germane be used to replace material?

While in some cases nearly identical to material, germane may additionally imply a fitness for or appropriateness to the situation or occasion.

a point not germane to the discussion

When can pertinent be used instead of material?

The words pertinent and material can be used in similar contexts, but pertinent stresses a clear and decisive relevance.

a pertinent observation

Where would relevant be a reasonable alternative to material?

The meanings of relevant and material largely overlap; however, relevant implies a traceable, significant, logical connection.

found material relevant to her case

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 material
Noun
The cover is also made from recycled materials that can withstand years of consistent use. Christopher Murray May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 1 July 2025 The main box was filled with brown bags that contained the materials needed for each individual meal. Brittany Loggins, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2025
Adjective
If convicted, Petrova faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the smuggling charge, and up to five years in prison and an additional $250,000 on charges of concealment of material fact and false statements. Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 26 June 2025 Combining two facets of the school’s core identities of text — through visuals, culture and conceptualization and texture — with the material quality of surface, the show embodied the duality of innovation and tradition, concept and craftsmanship and design and matter. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for material
Recent Examples of Synonyms for material
Noun
  • Without a major change in the Iranian government, there remains a significant potential for future threats to oil supplies from the various parties involved.
    Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • European shares surged in the first half of the year, massively outperforming stocks on Wall Street — but market watchers are divided on the potential for the trend to continue.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • With an additional retrofit kit, the Allegro 2 can be converted into a tower, turning it into a double duty piece of equipment.
    Amy Wilkinson, SELF, 1 July 2025
  • Defense industries also explored connected equipment to enhance battlefield awareness, proving the value of connected devices well before IoT became mainstream.
    Thomas Ryd, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • After the loss of her child, the woman was hospitalized due to her declining mental and physical health.
    Lauren-Kennedy Brown, Charlotte Observer, 27 June 2025
  • Fuel costs and physical exhaustion—combined with the general chaos that defined the Grateful Dead’s mid-’70s era—ultimately forced the band to abandon the system after less than a year, retiring it following their October 1974 shows at San Francisco’s Winterland.
    Anna Tingley, Variety, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • The Ability To Respond, Not React There are many important skills that top-notch leaders have in common, such as emotional intelligence, active listening, vision and so on.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025
  • Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.
    Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 24 June 2025
Adjective
  • While scholars like Resnik, Hosseini, Friesen, Floridi and Lin have proposed meaningful reforms, such as ethical AI education, diverse oversight and explainability principles, few focus on the evolving temporal relationship between humans and algorithms.
    Taposh Roy, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • For Lyell, the material and the organic worlds belong to categorically distinct temporal orders.
    Lewis Hyde, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Uncomfortable moments, such as when Luke Armstrong’s record £500,000 transfer from Harrogate Town collapsed due to a failure to submit the relevant paperwork in time, have previously been totally ignored.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • The way our system works is when a marked paper ballot is scanned in, the machine takes a photo of the front and back of the sheet and also creates an associated electronic file, the cast vote record, with all the relevant data from that ballot.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The charges include a Level 4 felony of operating while intoxicated causing death; Level 5 felonies of reckless homicide, criminal recklessness, driving while suspended causing death and Level 6 felonies of driving while suspended causing bodily injury and reckless driving.
    Jim Woods, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
  • She was arraigned and charged with operating under the influence causing serious bodily injury, misleading a police investigation, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing personal injury.
    Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 24 June 2025
Noun
  • The industry, which also helped Thailand become a tourist haunt for those looking to access the substance, was estimated in 2022 to hit $1.2 billion by 2025.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 27 June 2025
  • The report says that running away can expose children to other adverse consequences like human trafficking, involvement with the criminal justice system, substance use and falling behind in school.
    Ginny Monk, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Material.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/material. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

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