məˈtɪərɪəl n. & adj. --n. 1
the matter from which a
thing is
made. 2
cloth,
fabric. 3 (in pl.) things needed
for an
activity (building materials; cleaning materials;
writing materials). 4 a
person or thing of a specified kind or
suitable for a
purpose (officer material). 5 (in
sing. or pl.)
information etc. to be used in writing a
book etc. (experimental material; materials for a biography). 6 (in sing. or
pl.,
often foll. by of) the elements or
constituent parts of a
substance. --adj. 1 of matter;
corporeal. 2
concerned with bodily comfort etc. (material well-being). 3 (of
conduct, points of
view, etc.)
not spiritual. 4 (often foll. by to)
important,
essential,
relevant (at the material time). 5 concerned with the matter, not the
form, of reasoning. øømateriality n. [ME f. OF materiel,
-al, f. LL materialis f. L (as MATTER)]