matériel

noun

ma·​té·​ri·​el mə-ˌtir-ē-ˈel How to pronounce matériel (audio)
variants or materiel
: equipment, apparatus, and supplies used by an organization or institution

Examples of matériel in a Sentence

the army is running short of clothing and other matériel
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
All that had to be done was to get Ukraine to back off its unrealistic demands for a return of all its territory, at which point Putin would seize the chance to buy time to repair his economy and replenish his troops and materiel. Robert Kagan, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025 After the first Gulf war, in which the United States defeated the sixth-largest army in six days with very few casualties, analysts assumed that future wars would likely be short and would not require massive stockpiles of basic munitions and materiel. Michael Brown, Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025 Several former Chinese fighters have described harsh conditions and subpar materiel at the front. David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025 In exchange, Assad allowed Iran to use his country to build its regional network, giving it control of warehouses and airports and permitting it to move money and materiel bound for Iranian proxies across Syrian territory and airspace. Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025 In exchange, Assad allowed Iran to use his country to build its regional network, giving it control of warehouses and airports and permitting it to move money and materiel bound for Iranian proxies across Syrian territory and airspace. Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025 Under the current system, in which countries compete with one another for parts and supplies—thereby driving up the prices of defense materiel—Europe will fail. Jack Watling, Foreign Affairs, 24 Mar. 2025 The inescapable conclusion is that mass—that is, having more forces or materiel than an enemy—is important. Stacie L. Pettyjohn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2025 The Russian armed forces have burned through much of the materiel inherited from the Soviet era; thousands of Russian tanks, armored vehicles, artillery pieces, and other military equipment have been destroyed in Ukraine. Andrew Kosenko, Foreign Affairs, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French matériel, from matériel, adjective

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of matériel was in 1819

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Matériel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mat%C3%A9riel. Accessed 2 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

matériel

noun
ma·​té·​ri·​el
variants or materiel
: equipment and supplies used by a group or organization
Etymology

French

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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