Webster's English Dictionary

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material

Cross references:
  1. relevant              
 
1. ma.te.ri.al \m*-'tir-e--*l\ \-e--*-le-\ aj [ME materiel, fr. MF & LL; 
   MF, fr. LL materialis, fr. L materia)X matter - more at MATTER 1a1: 
   relating to, derived from, or consisting of matter; esp :  PHYSICAL {~ 
   world} 1a2: BODILY {~ needs}  1b1: of or relating to matter rather than 
   form {~ cause}  1b2: of or relating to the subject matter of reasoning; esp 
   : E MPIRICAL {~ knowledge} 2a: having real importance or great consequence  
   2b1: ESSENTIAL  2b2: RELEVANT, PERTINENT  3a: being of a physical or 
   worldly nature  3b: relating to or concerned with physical rather than 
   spiritual or intell ectual things {~ progress} 4: of or relating to the 
   production and distribution of economic goods and  the social relationships 
   of owners and laborerMSENSIBLE, OBJECTIVE mean of or belonging to 
   actuality. MATERIAL implies formation out of tangible matter; used in 
   contrast with spiritual or ideal it may connote the mundane, crass, or 
   grasping; PHYSICAL applies to what is perceived directly by the senses and 
   may contrast with mental, spiritual, or imaginary; CORPOREAL implies having 
   the tangible qualities of a body such as shape, size, or resistance to 
   force; PHENOMENAL applies to what is known or perceived through the senses 
   rather than by intuition or rational deduction; SENSIBLE stresses the 
   capability of readily or forcibly impressing the senses; OBJECTIVE may 
   stress material or independent existence apart from a subject perceiving it 
   - ma.te.ri.al.ly av SYN syn MATERIAL, PHYSICAL, CORPOREAL, PHENOMENAL, ( 
2. material n 1a: the elements or substance or the parts of which something 
   is composed o r can be made 1b: data that may be worked into a more 
   finished form  1c: MATTER  2a: apparatus necessary for doing or making 
   something {writing ~ s} 2b: MATE Iel