as in spiritual
not composed of matter
Newton's laws explain the effects of nonmaterial forces on bodies
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Recent Examples of nonmaterial
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 author excludes them all, asserting that belief in any kind of nonmaterial, ethereal world lacks empirical support.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 2022
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
The real challenge in terms of 2022 earnings is going to be addressing inflation in other costs, so nonmaterial costs.
—George Stahl, WSJ, 12 Feb. 2022
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
An example of a nonmaterial breach is a landlord thinking their tenant is not cleaning enough, but nothing has been damaged.
—Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
So, for example, property may be capital, in the Marxist sense, but property values are dependent on things that are nonmaterial — that are ideological, or superstructural — like race.
—Vinson Cunningham, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2021
Werner Herzog, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
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
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 2022
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
The real challenge in terms of 2022 earnings is going to be addressing inflation in other costs, so nonmaterial costs.
—George Stahl, WSJ, 12 Feb. 2022
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
An example of a nonmaterial breach is a landlord thinking their tenant is not cleaning enough, but nothing has been damaged.
—Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
So, for example, property may be capital, in the Marxist sense, but property values are dependent on things that are nonmaterial — that are ideological, or superstructural — like race.
—Vinson Cunningham, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonmaterial
Adjective
-
Built in 1904, Blessed Virgin of Pompeii Catholic Church was the spiritual heart of Milwaukee's Italian community.—
Chris Foran,
jsonline.com,
31 July 2025
-
Many locals consider the primates to be sacred guardians of the spiritual site, which dates back to around the 10th or 11th century, according to the WSJ.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
Vendors will offer beads, minerals, gemstones, custom jewelry, fossils, artifacts, and metaphysical stones.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 July 2025
-
This exchange happens near the beginning of The Stone Door, Leonora Carrington’s metaphysical novel of the Second World War, in a dream of her nameless narrator.—
Celia Bell
July 22,
Literary Hub,
22 July 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
-
To the casual observer, the data industry can seem incorporeal, its products conjured out of weightless bits.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
30 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
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
-
In 1726 the British Empire was already expanding in the name of trade, trading the immaterial language Swift wrote in for material goods.—
Joanna Walsh
June 18,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Consequently, legal advocates have argued for decades for a better framework that emphasizes nonphysical forms of abuse as well as physical abuse.—
Maia Niguel Hoskin,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the film embraces a twist on the classic by introducing a supernatural element — the afterlife.—
Mekishana Pierre Published,
EW.com,
29 July 2025
-
The upcoming second season promises eight episodes of more deadpan humor, soulless glares and even a Lady Gaga cameo, as Wednesday takes on another eerie supernatural mystery at Nevermore Academy.—
Grace Tucker,
The Enquirer,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonmaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmaterial. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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