materialize

verb

ma·​te·​ri·​al·​ize mə-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌlīz 

materialized; materializing

transitive verb

1

a

: to make material : objectify

b

: to cause to appear in bodily form

materialize the spirits of the dead

2

: to cause to be materialistic

intransitive verb

1

: to assume bodily form

2

a

: to appear especially suddenly

b

: to come into existence

materializer noun

Synonyms of materialize

• begin
• originate
• arise
• start
• appear
• commence
• be
• emerge

Examples of materialize in a Sentence

A waiter suddenly materialized beside our table.

Rain clouds materialized on the horizon.

Recent Examples on the Web

Downtown Sacramento businesses remain skeptical that the state’s July return-to-office mandate affecting roughly 95,000 employees will actually materialize, even as foot traffic sits at 85% of April 2019 levels and local leaders rethink the urban core’s heavy reliance on office space. — Ruyuan Li. Summary Produced By Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026

Behind her stood an image of a rendering of a permanent memorial honoring the 98 collapse victims that has yet to materialize, a sore subject that was mentioned several times during the event, along with condolences, family memories and words of encouragement. — Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Yet meaningful change has been slow to materialize, souring views of Starmer’s premiership and inflicting heavy losses on the Labour Party in local government elections in May, which virtually sealed his fate. — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 23 June 2026

Tesla’s valuation prices in full autonomy and a robotics business that has not yet materialized. — Douglas P. McCormick, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for materialize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

materialize

verb

ma·​te·​ri·​al·​ize mə-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌlīz 

materialized; materializing

1

: to give material form and substance to

2

: to assume or cause to assume bodily form

a ghost materialized out of nowhere

3

a

: to come into existence

a promise that never materialized

b

: to appear suddenly