EN

Synonyms for material

  • adjective
  • noun

Most common

substantial physical bodily tangible solid weighty worldly important

Synonyms by meaning

Adjective

1. Substantial

substantial, physical, bodily, tangible, real, essential, elementary, corporal dated, hylic rare

2. Solid — full of substance or otherwise meaning

solid, weighty, bulky, meaty, massive, valid

3. Worldly

worldly, earthly, corporeal, secular, temporal

4. Important

important, vital, momentous

Other

germane, apposite, palpable, analog US, analogue UK, choical rare

Noun

1. Fabric — fabric, which can be made into a garments, curtains, etc; especially, woven fabric (cloth)

fabric, cloth, textile

Other

stuff, substance, matter, raw material, pertinent, staple

Antonyms

spiritual, immaterial, heavenly

All antonyms of material →

Definitions

  1. adj. 1

    Full of substance or otherwise meaning.

  2. adj. 2

    Of, relating to, or consisting of matter, especially physical.

    This compound has a number of interesting material properties.

  3. adj. 3

    Of, relating to, or affecting physical well-being; corporeal; bodily.

  4. n. 1

    Fabric, which can be made into a garments, curtains, etc; especially, woven fabric (cloth).

    You'll need about a yard of material to make this.

Related words

Word family
materialization materialize materialism materialist materially matter materiel
Phrases
material conditional raw material hazardous material material implication material noun reading material time and material material nonimplication

Forms

Plural
materials → fabrics, cloths, textiles, stuffs…

Choose the right word

Material, Physical or Physis?

Whatever is composed of or pertains to matter may be termed material; physical (Gr. physis, nature) applies to material things considered as parts of a system or organic whole; hence, we speak of material substances, physical forces, physical laws.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

  • physical Sami never had a physical relationship with Layla.
  • substantial Human vices provide substantial government income.
  • analog Which kind of watch do you prefer, digital or analog?
  • germane How is that question germane to what we're discussing?

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
materialfalling
physicalsteady
substantialfalling
analogsteady
germanefalling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters
real1
5 letters
stuff1, solid2, valid2, vital2, cloth1, bulky2, meaty2, hylic
6 letters
matter2, fabric2, bodily3, analog3, staple2
7 letters
massive2, secular3, textile2, worldly2, earthly2, weighty2, germane2, choical
8 letters
physical3, tangible3, corporal3, temporal3, analogue3, palpable3, apposite
9 letters
important3, essential3, substance2, pertinent3, momentous3, corporeal
10 letters
elementary4
11 letters
substantial3

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (solid2 = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français
matériel