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
-
For many, rocking garments and accessories that reflect the richness of Black history while moving in rhythm to the soundtracks of the holiday’s celebration was not just a necessary reprieve, but a spiritual embrace.—
Essence,
Essence,
24 June 2025
-
Today’s immersive venues like the $2.3 billion Sphere in Las Vegas, where Dead & Company now hold extended residencies, owe a direct spiritual and technological debt.—
Noah Eckstein,
HollywoodReporter,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
And that was the metaphysical American transformation of news into entertainment.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
13 June 2025
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The Foundation Of Strategic Thinking The Vedas scriptures do not only dwell on metaphysical concepts but also emphasize the principles of truth, cosmic order and sacrifice for the collective good.—
Pankaj Vasani,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
If reason teaches that God is incorporeal, this means that God has no body; God does not physically see, nor do people see God.—
Randy L. Friedman,
The Conversation,
16 Feb. 2024
Adjective
-
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
-
One’s major is immaterial, particularly in an economy as dynamic as ours.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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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
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What are intangible assets? Intangible assets are nonphysical resources that generate economic and strategic value, such as patents, trademarks, customer trust and innovation capacity.—
Tami Saito,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Along with being experts in the martial arts, many of the competitors exhibit supernatural abilities.—
Michileen Martin,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
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The coven of The Craft (1996) Careful around this cult classic's supernatural crew!—
EW.com,
EW.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonmaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmaterial. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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