nonmaterial

adjective

ˌnän-mə-ˈtir-ē-əl How to pronounce nonmaterial (audio)
Definition of nonmaterialnext
as in spiritual
not composed of matter Newton's laws explain the effects of nonmaterial forces on bodies

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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 nonmaterial 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonmaterial
  1. spiritual
  2. metaphysical
  3. incorporeal
  4. immaterial
  5. nonphysical
Adjective
  • When the crown proves capable of betrayal, Garfield sees the break as spiritual as much as political.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Experts suspect the pigment may be cinnabar, a mercury sulfide mineral that held immense spiritual and ritualistic value for the Chimu, explicitly reserved for high-ranking members of society.
    — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of spiritual
Adjective
  • For decades, metaphysical stores and botanicas have sold religious items and offered spiritual cleansings and readings in spite of stigmatization and gentrification.
    — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Eddy has been spared the worst violence; the novel casts his racial privilege as a kind of metaphysical exemption.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of metaphysical
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 space will become an immaterial garden with intricate cutouts creating shadows, reflections and transparency for viewing the jewelry creations.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • But that doesn’t mean what happens along the way is immaterial.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of immaterial
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

nonmanual
nonmaterial
nonmaterialistic
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Cite this Entry

“Nonmaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmaterial. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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