A Comprehensive Material Synonym Guide — Definition and Examples

The word material is common in the English language, whether in conversations or in writing. It’s a broad term, so it can be hard to find a material synonym.

But don’t worry. This guide contains everything you need to know about the term material. Once you finish this article, you will fully understand what material is. You’ll also get to know some related terms that you can utilize interchangeably. So keep reading!

The Definition of Material

Everything in the photo above can be considered to be a type of material, from the paperclip, the rubber band, to the tiny pins. Material is a general term that often refers to the matter or substance that makes up things. Like other terms, it can be utilized in its literal or figurative sense, and the intended meaning is dependent on the context.

How to Use Material in a Sentence

Although often seen as a noun, the term material can also be an adjective. In other words, it can be the subject of your sentence. And it can also describe the subject. Here are some sentence examples to better explain.

Material as a Noun

• All our raw materials are exported from the United States.
•  We had to read a lot of reading materials to gather enough data.
•  There was a shortage in construction materials at our local hardware.

Material as an Adjective

• She hated being called a material girl.
• The tornado left devastating material damage to the buildings.
• My dad strived to provide us with material comforts.

Material Synonyms — Exploring Words with Similar Meanings

Matter

By definition, matter is anything that has mass and volume. Matter does not necessarily have a specific chemical composition or molecular structure. Matter can have properties such as weight, color or hue, and smell. The term matter originates from the Latin “materia.” This means “timber or wood for building.”

• We studied the three states of matter in class yesterday.

Goods

Goods refer to material objects such as cars, clothing, buildings, and so on. Normally, goods refer to a concrete item such as a material, tangible item, or an item that can be physically touched. In short, goods refer to tangible things that you can utilize and consume (e.g., food).

• Our local dry goods store has everything you could possibly need.

Object

This is a very general term. It has a broad meaning, but you can mainly relate it to items or stuff that can be seen or touched. Examples of these are the tools and stationery you can see in a workplace.

• They had to get rid of a lot of objects to make way for the new furniture. 

Final thoughts

A lack of synonyms can make your article seem bland, but the right word can make your writing jump off the page. Try applying the similar terms you’ve learned in this guide to level your writing game!