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 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
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 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 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
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 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
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Dalai Lama calls for peace Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday posted an appeal for an end to war in the Middle East.—
NPR Staff,
NPR,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Pickled foods often accompanied bread during blessings, emphasizing their role as both sustenance and spiritual connection.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The movie addresses metaphysical questions such as the egregore of a generation, the nature of evil, and the search for God in times of His absence.—
PhotoVogue,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2026
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The most fundamental consequences of being struck by lightning are often metaphysical, and not easily communicable.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
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The timing of the lawsuits, less than two weeks before early voting begins April 7 for the primary elections, is not immaterial, Remley said, but Krebs only recently lost her job.—
Amy Lavalley,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
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And whether Americans really want data centres in their backyards may be immaterial in the coming decades.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Nonmaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmaterial. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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