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
C. A. Koepke
broadly
: something with a potential for improvement, development, or elaboration
perplexities are often the raw material of discoveries —Agnes M. Clerke
Agnes M. Clerke 
Examples of raw material in a Sentence
His experiences during the war were the raw material for the story.
Recent Examples on the Web
Manufacturing processes are part of many industries and are comprised of various steps that turn raw materials into finished goods or products.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
But leading powers have still not done nearly enough to prevent disaster, and the scramble for critical raw materials, now at the heart of every great power’s foreign policy, will not help poorer countries pay for the transition.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for raw material 
Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
But leading powers have still not done nearly enough to prevent disaster, and the scramble for critical raw materials, now at the heart of every great power’s foreign policy, will not help poorer countries pay for the transition.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for raw material
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'raw material.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near raw material
Cite this Entry
“Raw material.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raw%20material. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
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