raw material

noun

: crude or processed material that can be converted by manufacture, processing, or combination into a new and useful product

wheat … is raw material for the flour mill

—C. A. Koepke

broadly : something with a potential for improvement, development, or elaboration

perplexities are often the raw material of discoveries

—Agnes M. Clerke

Synonyms

• making
• material
• stuff
• substance
• timber

Examples of raw material in a Sentence

His experiences during the war were the raw material for the story.

Recent Examples on the Web

In addition, during our reporting on the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune obtained a trove of unreleased raw materials collected during the state’s investigation. —Charles Ornstein, ProPublica, 13 Mar. 2025

Over the past 10 to 15 years, the industry has been putting the impacts of denim—from the raw materials that are being used, like cotton, to finishing—under great scrutiny. —Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 13 Mar. 2025

Rising raw material costs could contribute to inflationary pressures, while trade restrictions may further disrupt global commerce. —Gary Drenik, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025

Meanwhile, the cost of raw materials has skyrocketed. —Matt Fleming, Orange County Register, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for raw material

• arterial
• bacterial
• ethereal
• funereal
• imperial
• sidereal
• venereal
• antibacterial
• biomaterial
• mycobacterial
• cereal
• virial

Kids Definition

raw material

noun

: something from which a useful or desirable product can be manufactured or produced

wheat and rye are the raw materials for a flour mill

collect raw material for writing a story