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material

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adjective

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word material different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of material are applicable, apposite, apropos, germane, pertinent, and relevant. While all these words mean "relating to or bearing upon the matter in hand," material implies so close a relationship that it cannot be dispensed with without serious alteration of the case.

facts material to the investigation

When is it sensible to use applicable instead of material?

The synonyms applicable and material are sometimes interchangeable, but applicable suggests the fitness of bringing a general rule or principle to bear upon a particular case.

the rule is not applicable in this case

When might apposite be a better fit than material?

In some situations, the words apposite and material are roughly equivalent. However, apposite suggests a felicitous relevance.

add an apposite quotation to the definition

When is apropos a more appropriate choice than material?

Although the words apropos and material have much in common, apropos suggests being both relevant and opportune.

the quip was apropos

When could germane be used to replace material?

While in some cases nearly identical to material, germane may additionally imply a fitness for or appropriateness to the situation or occasion.

a point not germane to the discussion

When can pertinent be used instead of material?

The words pertinent and material can be used in similar contexts, but pertinent stresses a clear and decisive relevance.

a pertinent observation

Where would relevant be a reasonable alternative to material?

The meanings of relevant and material largely overlap; however, relevant implies a traceable, significant, logical connection.

found material relevant to her case

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of material
Noun
These materials will be used to build the powerful magnets that form a magnetic cage to confine plasma heated to temperatures exceeding 150 million degrees Celsius (302 million degrees Fahrenheit). Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Sep. 2025 The magnetic closure keeps your products secure while the case’s neoprene material is both sleek and durable. Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
This more well-rounded view of life is undoubtedly beneficial to their mental health, and gives their lives more meaning beyond the acquisition of material objects. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 27 Aug. 2025 If that party demonstrates the existence of a genuine issue of material fact, the motion must be denied. Eduardo J. Valdes, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for material
Recent Examples of Synonyms for material
Noun
  • The paper also highlights the potential of digital twins — virtual patient replicas that allow doctors to simulate treatments before applying them in real life.
    Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
  • This creates the potential for payload delivery and even medical evacuation from orbit to any major metropolitan area.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The capital costs of capture equipment, plus the energy demands for capture and conversion processes, create a tough business case without subsidies or premium product markets.
    Peter Bendor-Samuel, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, newer synthetic drugs such as spice or bath salts may not be detected at all without specialized equipment.
    Andrew Yockey, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The iPhone 17 is set to be the fourth gen of Apple smartphones without a physical SIM card slot in the US.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Even today, thousands of its physical records are stored in former limestone mines in Missouri and Pennsylvania.
    Eli Hager, ProPublica, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • And that became a very important part of the character.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Grey’s son, Loren Grey, restored his father’s original ending in the novel’s 1982 Pocket Books reprint, but the vanishing mythos remains intact, with the last of the tribe wistfully following Curtis’s Navajo into the temporal graveyard of the past.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Psychologists call this a temporal landmark, a point in time like a birthday or seasonal shift that can spark motivation to take on new challenges.
    Caroline Castrillon, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Provide your full legal name, date of birth and other relevant account info to confirm your identity.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Each captured a way of thinking about venture investing that was practical, deeply personal, and relevant to how family offices are reshaping their role in the ecosystem.
    Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The virus, which is spread by bodily fluids, is endemic in animal populations in Central and West Africa, and there are periodic outbreaks.
    Ben Smith, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Chernyak, who came to the US last August, was arrested in January and charged with battery with bodily harm over what his common-law wife Oksana Tarasiuk told CNN was a misunderstanding exacerbated by a language barrier with police officers.
    Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • The decor channels the style and substance of the Victorian era, but all of the amenities have been brought into the 21st century, complimentary breakfast included.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Beyond a point, Latif’s many attempts to create mood and atmosphere through movement end up with little subtext to draw from, and play like flourishes with no substance.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Material.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/material. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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