as in spiritual
not composed of matter
Newton's laws explain the effects of nonmaterial forces on bodies
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Recent Examples of nonmaterial
Put simply, superheated plasma was being tested as fuel, but the temperatures melted any sort of solid container, so the experiments used nonmaterial vessels formed from extremely powerful magnetic fields.
—
Werner Herzog, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
The first part of the book is committed to a ground-clearing exercise, describing the various concepts of the nonmaterial soul that feature in many different religious belief systems.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 2022
An example of a nonmaterial breach is a landlord thinking their tenant is not cleaning enough, but nothing has been damaged.
—Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
So, for example, property may be capital, in the Marxist sense, but property values are dependent on things that are nonmaterial — that are ideological, or superstructural — like race.
—Vinson Cunningham, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2021
Werner Herzog, The New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2023
The first part of the book is committed to a ground-clearing exercise, describing the various concepts of the nonmaterial soul that feature in many different religious belief systems.
—Denis Alexander, Washington Post, 17 Mar. 2023
Robert Kagan also emphasized the role of nonmaterial motives in U.S. foreign policy.
—William A. Galston, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
So people escaped into the nonmaterial world.
—Keith Gessen, Vogue, 19 May 2022
An example of a nonmaterial breach is a landlord thinking their tenant is not cleaning enough, but nothing has been damaged.
—Randy Furst, Star Tribune, 11 July 2021
So, for example, property may be capital, in the Marxist sense, but property values are dependent on things that are nonmaterial — that are ideological, or superstructural — like race.
—Vinson Cunningham, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nonmaterial
Adjective
-
The movement offered a more spiritual alternative to both futurism and communism.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
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And there’s also a big demographic of that group that likes spiritual music of any kind — anything devotional.—
Billboard Staff,
Billboard,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Gleason, famously fascinated with UFOs and metaphysical theory, dreamed up the circular home that embodied futuristic ambition while showcasing old-fashioned craftsmanship.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
3 Sep. 2025
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Dao and qi are two metaphysical categories that persisted throughout the history of Chinese thought, with various interpretations of their unification and separation.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, magical life has the potential to be even more radically incorporeal than our own.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 June 2025
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Indeed, in stark contrast to the incorporeal nature of a digital image, each of Winant’s photographs is, in a sense, a discrete body: a fallible material entity that boasts a hidden physical history and that will compositionally deteriorate over time.—
Jessica Simmons-Reid,
Artforum,
1 June 2025
Adjective
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Between them, Sinner and Alcaraz have dispatched their only serious rival in three straight majors, largely making every other match at these tournaments feel almost immaterial.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The justifications for the slaughter which started out so white hot after October 7th have cooled now, become more immaterial and incoherent.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In Ayurveda, Prana, the life force carried by the breath, is understood to nourish both the mind and body and can be viewed as a nonphysical substance, finer than oxygen.—
Trisha Swift,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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In accounting, intangible assets are nonphysical possessions including such things as brands and intellectual property, software, mineral rights ‒ and contracts.—
Alexander Coolidge,
The Enquirer,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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The story unfolds in Agra during the 1990s, weaving together romantic elements with comedic beats and supernatural scares.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
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From spooky Halloween teen shows to mysteries to supernatural programs, the list has a wide variety of high-quality, compelling shows that will give you all the fall feels.—
Toni Fitzgerald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nonmaterial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nonmaterial. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.
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