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

• actualize
• appear
• arise
• begin
• break
• commence
• dawn
• engender
• form
• originate
• set in
• spring
• start

Examples of materialize in a Sentence

A waiter suddenly materialized beside our table.

Rain clouds materialized on the horizon.

Recent Examples on the Web

An interview with Harris never materialized, while Trump's was released just under two weeks ahead of the election. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 14 Feb. 2025

The witnesses that were promised never materialized. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 11 Feb. 2025

Without fully diving into the details (of which there are many), that fate never materialized. —Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025

Federal funding, while seemingly available for punitive drug measures, never materialized at the levels requested by the narcotic farm administrators. —TIME, 10 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1710, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

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