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

Industrial supplies and materials Consumers might not personally notice the impact of higher prices on every raw material. —Nerdwallet, Twin Cities, 20 Jan. 2025

The increase was driven by higher spreads between selling prices and raw material costs. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 16 Jan. 2025

In November, 2023, officials from the E.U. and Greenland announced a strategic partnership to develop a value chain for sustainable raw materials. —John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025

What resources and raw materials are required for production? —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025

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