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

As the biggest vodka brand in Ukraine, Nemiroff is at the end of quite a long production chain that includes raw materials suppliers from grain to bottles, labels, and packaging. —Kevin Rozario, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

The new store is said to be a big priority for the brand, and has been built around creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s vision of blending raw materials such as a black wood staircase, marble displays, corduroy concrete and black mirror walls with more classic elements. —Rhonda Richford, WWD, 11 Dec. 2024

Under the terms of the agreement, Steinberg said European firms were likely to gain better access to public procurement markets, high-value service sectors and critical raw materials, like lithium. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024

This exchange is merely the latest round in the ongoing battle for the raw materials that control the future of energy and tech. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined above

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